


Tropical Retreat

by BlueTulips



Category: La casa de papel | Money Heist (TV)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Gen, Past Abuse, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Rape warning in chapter 2, Therapy, serquel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-31
Updated: 2020-09-08
Packaged: 2021-03-05 21:14:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 11
Words: 39,855
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25631875
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlueTulips/pseuds/BlueTulips
Summary: A squall from the past hits Raquel, strong enough to disturb their relationship in Palawan. She seeks psychiatric help to save herself and her love from the misery! Sergio, as expected, is supportive of his love while she battles herself. The therapy is a tornado by itself, digging out buried memories and painful self-confrontation. What is weighs more uncertain PTSD triggers or self-consuming therapy ?Also guys I m @lcdp_whatifs on instragramAnd@BlueeeTulipsss on Twitter. I really appreciate if you connect with me. I would love to meet you all.
Relationships: Raquel Murillo/Alberto Vicuña, Raquel Murillo/Professor | Sergio Marquina
Comments: 164
Kudos: 159





	1. Out of nowhere

**Author's Note:**

> Happy domestic SerQuel until it hits out of nowhere!.

“Sergio...”, the little girl cuddled into Sergio on their porch after a very stuffing dinner. 

“My tummy hurts.", the girl groaned in his embrace. 

"Well, your mom's delicious cooking is starting to hurt us! My tummy hurts too.", he chuckled stroking the little girl's hair and taking her close to him. Amidst dealing with his overly full stomach, he couldn't help but rejoice these moments he has with Paula. Their relationship started with awkward occasional glances, moments where Paula ran away at the sight of him, then, asking for his help to deal with her mother, her math homework, board games, origamis and now it has progressed to seek his warmth. From being total stranger that terrified her to almost being her parental figure, their relationship was gradual and poetic. 

"We need to put an end to this!", the girl proposed a project unaware of Sergio's obsessive interests in planning things. Of course, he was onboard. 

"What are you two doing here ?" , they shuddered hearing Raquel's voice from behind. 

"Nothing.", they said together looking at her serious figure with her hands on her hips.

"Hija, We need to talk.!", Marivi approached her with a complaining face. 

"I love you. But these delicious dinners everyday is not good for the family.", Marivi took Raquel's hand and caressed it. 

Raquel opened her mouth in shock but she was prepared for what came next. "I think so too, Mamma.", Paula said rubbing her stomach shooting a sad look at her mother. The little girl, then, elbowed Sergio who was looking at the floor to avoid the conversation. Sergio couldn't believe he was the most scared one amongst a toddler and a senior citizen.

"Uhh.. Raquel... What we are trying to say is.. We are full... It is not your fault you are an amazing cook. We blame our lack of self control. But...", Sergio stammered. 

  
"Very brave", Marivi whispered in his ears and patted his shoulders.

"Oh god. I cannot believe I live with this ungrateful bunch of Europeans!", Raquel rubbed her face in disbelief. 

"What if we let Sergio cook ?", the little girl suggested with a sparkled eyes. 

"That's is a great suggestion. We all could lose some weight.", Marivi mocked earning Sergio's frown. 

"Raquel, I think it would help take some load off you. I would be happy to..", he added in response to Paula's wide stare pushing him to speak up.

"Oh save it!. Fine!", Raquel clapped her hands and sat next to them. 

"Sergio how does the sun know when to set and rise ? Does it have a watch too ?" , Paula quickly changed the subject. 

  
Paula, who has been in the middle of marital conflicts between her parents, knows how to change the subject if she senses tension. She also knows that her mother cannot be manipulated, but Sergio could be. What would interest Sergio more than provoking him to offer a lecture ? The brilliant kid had a question which she genuinely wondered herself and used it in the right time. Undoubtedly, Sergio began his lecture about solar systems, the moon and revolution of earth. The girl was awestruck and shot more questions about timezones, for which Sergio patiently explained.

"But, I am not too good with timezones either. So, I just ask around if I want to know the time.", he admitted. At the end of the explanation, he looked around to see his perfect family listening to what he has to say on the topic and his patient simplified lecture. A truly amazing Professor. Paula on his lap resting on his chest and Raquel resting on his shoulder while he gently stroked her hair was the only thing Marivi wanted for her first born headstrong child. She looked at the sky hoping to find a shooting star to wish for this to last the longest and beyond. 

When Paula's eyes finally betrayed her, Sergio whispered to Raquel, "I think someone is falling asleep".

"Yea, It is past her bedtime. Would you tuck her in ?"

Sergio carried her to bed and tucked her in, cautiously. Marivi wished everyone a good night and went to bed, leaving Raquel and Sergio alone. 

"To bed ?", Sergio offered his hand to Raquel.

"Carry me?", she gave a childish pout. "Of course", he chuckled, lifted her gently and walked to their room.

The affection that is showered upon her was too much to bear. Sometimes, she doubts if it's all a dream or wonders if she deserves his love. "Are you okay ?", he asked worried about the tears welling up in her eyes. 

"Never been better.", she muttered under her breathe and rested her head on his chest. He gently placed her on their bed and took her feet to massage it.

"Why are you looking at me like that ?", Sergio asked sensing her gaze. 

"You know. Four years ago, if someone had told me that.. that .. _this_ is how my life is going to turn out ... falling in love with the mastermind of the case I was trying to crack, living in paradise, I would have called them an idiot!", she said softly, supporting her head on her elbows to look into his eyes. 

"Well, it's all true. We fell in love and we are living in a place that feels like paradise. To me , it only feels that way because you are in it.", Sergio agreed making Raquel tear up more. 

  
"Ra.. Raquel.. Are you okay ?", worried about her sudden emotional realisation. 

"Yea.. Yea I am ..", wiping her tears rapidly. "It's just... I thought the best day of my life was when I finally got divorced and the judge put a restraining order against him. I remember the first day after many years I went home not having to be scared of any fights or beatings that would generally wait for me behind the door. I thought, 'This is it and it is all I wanted. This is the best day of my life'.....", she recalled the day. "Never imagined life would get better from there. Neither did I think I deserved more.", she took Sergio's face in her palms and gently kissed his forehead. 

"Thank you...", she gently stroked his hair and brought him to lie next to her in bed. 

"Well, I must thank you...", he took her in his arms gently drawing circles on her back. 

"How about we do this over thanksgiving ? Now, you make love to me like a good partner ?", she snapped them out of this emotional moment and he quickly took her lips in response. They passionately kissed giving each other enough time to catch their breathes and undress each other. They hands busy caressing their bodies increasing the temperature of the whole act. 

"Sergio, I want you in me now.", she whispered between deep kisses. He slipped a finger between her legs and she was ready for him. He moved to settle on his back to allow her on top of him. More than just a personal preference, he noticed that she was more relaxed when she was in control. He understood her need to feel safe and in control in bed, although he did not understand what kind of monster would make a woman feel insecure and vulnerable when they are supposedly making love. 

"No No, Sergio stay on top of me.", he was shocked by her new ask. 

"Ra.. Raquel are you ?", he reconfirmed her consent. 

"Yes. Please I want to feel your weight on me.", she cleared his doubts and lied on her back. In front of him was this naked golden beauty, who broke several walls only to fall in love with him, now trusts him enough to dare herself by staying under him in bed. At first he earned Paula's trust as a father figure and now this, his credibility increased exponentially making him feel more responsible. He made a mental note to be very gentle than his usual self, predictable with his movements and be very respectful of her will. He took a moment to drink her; the veins on her forehead, her brown eyes, trembling lips indicating her hunger for him or mild insecurity, her chest raising and falling really fast in anticipation and her feet rubbing against each other impatiently. 

"Well, What are you waiting for ?", her impatience took over. 

"Be patient, my love. I cannot believe how incredibly beautiful you are.", he whispered to calm her down. He slowly kissed her face, lips and cupped her round breasts. He gave equal importance to both her nipples and she let out a soft moan. He pressed kisses on her navel making her moan more louder. Took his tongue between her legs, licked her juices while holding her quivering waists. She spread herself for him, while he settled between her legs. He gently pushed his tongue into her beautiful moist femininity and used his finger to tenderly massage the area around it. She grabbed the pillow with one hand and clutched his hair with the other. After taking several moments to enjoy the glory that she beholds between her, he met her eyes.

He climbed on top of her holding himself with his hands, "Sergio, No.. lie on me, I need that.", she insisted.

"Raquel, at any stage you are not okay with this, stop me. Okay, my love?", to which she nodded.

"You are beautiful, Raquel.", he whispered and kissed her hard. Intertwining his fingers with hers, he gently entered her and they both instantly felt the pleasure rise in them. His manhood comprehended the need to be very gentle especially at this time and performed as commanded. He slowly increased the speed of his thrust earning her frequent moans. 

"I love you, Raquel.", he murmured in her ears. "You are amazing.", he continued saying sweet things to her to make her feel comfortable and unthreatened under him.

He kissed her face and that shook him instantly. His lips met her moistened cheek. It is true, she was teared up before, but he wiped it when they were kissing at the beginning. Was she crying ? Was he hurting her ? His stomach churned at that thought. He softened inside her mortified by her distress that he might unintentionally caused. She trusted him. What did he do ? He thought he was gentle ? He stopped to assess the situation with wide eyes. The room was dark making it difficult to read her face.

  
"Please..", she cried. He abruptly withdrew from her and shifted on her side.

"Raquel..Are yo..", he caressed her head still confused by her reaction. 

"Please... leave me.. ", she let out a sob.


	2. I need help; We need help

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They both realise the events of last night and decided to get professional help! As one would expect, Sergio has a plan!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am very happy to write a second chapter to this story. Thank you so much for your support and kindness. Like my other muli-Chapter story "Rewrite our destiny", I would like to gift a few chapters of this story some lovely people I met here. 
> 
> I will start by gifting this chapter to @AleksandraVS18, please would you accept my gift ?

Draped in a soft blanket, Raquel fell asleep in a foetal position facing Sergio but hugging herself, instead. Last night’s episode consumed a big chunk of her stamina that she could barely hold her spine erect to put on some clothes. Sergio tried to help her but she squirmed, cried and fell asleep naked. It was Sergio, who then, carefully tucked her in under a blanket, while he lied down next to her maintaining a careful distance. “ _That’s when I got my first hit... then the second... then the third.. and finally my divorce_!”. Those lines that she had told him in 'The Hanoi' were on constant replay the whole night. Her nightmares revealed to him that there were more than three slaps, probably punches, kicks and a lot of emotional abuse. However, thinking about the kind of trauma this episode had divulged made his stomach churn. He made several trips to the bathroom to splash some water on his face to help clear his mind. And, drank litres of water to help with the stomach twists. He, obviously, did not sleep a second and, continued to monitor her small figure sleeping well next to him. He craved to hold her close to him, caress her, but was terrified to accidentally violate her privacy, especially today. Until the dawn hit his face, he continued staring at her fearing she was going to dissolve. 

He randomly went through their fridge to make breakfast for the family before they woke up. Secretly, he wished for a back hug from Raquel, but that won't happen any soon. He sighed as he mixed the pancake batter. "Good Morning", the sound of a joyful Marivi shook him. 

"Hello. Morning.", he said with a faint smile. 

"Where is Raquel ?", she asked.

"Umm, She is having a headache and wanted to sleep longer.", he answered and went back to breakfast preparations. Marivi invited herself to give him a hand with breakfast. He flipped the pancakes and remained lost in his deep thoughts, while she made toasts and cut fruits.

"I will go wake Paula.", Sergio excused himself from the kitchen. Paula was certainly surprised waking up to his face in the morning. It was Raquel's warmth and kisses that woke her up everyday. 

"What's wrong? Where is Mamma ?", she asked sleepily. 

"Your Mamma has a headache. So, I will help you today!", he said with a bigger smile to help ease the kid. The girl slowly nodded and went into her bathroom. He hurried to the kitchen to make her a sandwich for lunch and fix a breakfast plate. The kid gave importance to the food presentations. Everything had to be well arranged on her plate and he did exactly the same. 

"Here, Enjoy sweetheart", he earned her bright eyes when she saw the pancakes.

"Paula, would it be okay if your friend's mom took you school today ?", he asked hesitantly to which she gladly nodded. He would have dropped her, but wanted to be there when Raquel woke up. Kissing goodbye to Paula as she left to school, he quickly gobbled his breakfast with Marivi and her nurse. The women chatted, but he kept a quiet face today, which isn't very unusual. Marivi knows Sergio is quiet, so she wasn't bothered about it. He, then, carried a plate with some eggs, pancakes, fruits and coffee to their bedroom to check on Raquel.

"Good Morning, my love", he whispered with a soft voice as she slowly stretched on their bed. Her face did not look better. She was still red from all the screaming and crying and groaned as she woke up. 

  
"Raquel.. What hurts ?", he noticed her distressed face as she sat up. 

"My head. It's like someone's banging it", she whimpered with a clenched teeth. 

"I got you coffee and some food. Will get you an aspirin as well, Okay ?", he told her trying not to have any form of physical contact with her. She nodded slowly and gradually opened her eyes. Visible horror spread on her face while she noticed that her naked body was covered with a blanket, recollecting the events of last night. 

"Raquel, you are safe and fine. I was here the whole night by your side.", he assured her longing to wipe her tears away. 

"Would you pass me my clothes, please ?", she stammered. She hastily put on the shirt he passed to her. "Sergio..", she spoke apologetically. 

"Not now, my love. Eat your breakfast and your tablet. Rest more. We will speak when you are better. I will be here. Not going anywhere.", he refused to let her speak with all the warmth he could gather.

She was aware that this was a bigger conversation and she needed to be fit to go through it. She agreed and started to eat her eggs. "Would you at least kiss me ? I won't complain if you even hold me ?", she asked with a big puppy eyes. 

He chuckled sadly, "Would you be comfortable with that ?". She eyed a "yes, please" and he did as she asked. She rested her hurting head on his shoulders as she enjoyed the food. 

"Paula ?", she asked suddenly remembering all the dependants in the house.

"Paula is in school. Your Mom and I had breakfast. I told them you have a headache and wanted to rest longer.", he informed her.

"Thank you...", she hugged him back for the first time since last evening. 

"Don't.. Here take your aspirin. Sleep for a while. I will go make lunch okay ?"

"Stay until I fall asleep, my love.", she asked hoping to not be alone in their room. He watched her fall asleep, caressing her hair and holding her close to him. When she drifted off, he gently escaped her embrace and left to the kitchen as it was almost lunch time for Marivi. He quickly scrambled some eggs, learnt to make a Thai curry with raw mangoes and cooked some sticky rice. He kept the food in warm-mode while he took a cup of tea to the porch for himself. She is not great, her eyes are cold, terrified and it hurt him to have caused that. He sat down staring at the beach and gathered strength to process what went wrong last night. What was the trigger ? She did ask him to stay on top of him and was fine their fingers were intertwined.

_"Please.. Alberto... please..", this was the instant he realised something went terribly wrong. He, then, pulled out of her and dropped next to her. Something triggered a panic attack and he could not predict the intensity of the episode._

_"I am not ready yet...", he stared at her beg in pain still in shock._

_"You are hurting me, please...", she sobbed louder in pain trying to fight the inexistent weight on her. "Raquel, wake up. It's Sergio.. you are safe.", he tried to hold her, but that only made it worse. "PLEASE.. It really hurts!..", she was struggling to close her spread legs, crying louder, her face turning red and her eyes squeezed tight. No physical contact, he slapped himself for not being considerate._

_"Raquel, wake up, my love. You are not in Madrid. You are in Palawan with Serg...", he could't not finish the sentence as his stomach clenched to see her move up and down on their bed responding to imaginary thrusts forced by her ex-husband. He gathered his courage again and tried to wake her without touching her, "Raquel, please, please. You are not with him Raquel. We are here in Palawan. It's Sergio. Please come back.", he cried next to her. His eyes hurt by what he was witnessing and rage instantly built within him; he sobbed helplessly. His face relaxed on seeing her ease a little and hoped it was over. But, he was terribly wrong. Raquel stopped fighting the abuse and gave up. She did not try to resist it anymore, she surrendered and gripped their pillow for support. Tears flowing down her tightly shut eyes, she bit her teeth to stop screaming from the agony and shifted her grimaced face on her side, which was directly facing Sergio, to avoid seeing the bastard's face. She stopped trying to close her legs. Out of despair, Sergio shook her shoulders to wake her up and, to his horror, she spread her legs even wider. Nothing he did worked on her; she did not respond to him sprinkling water on her face. So, he impotently sat next to her, praying for it to be over. The next and longest five minutes was the most throbbing experience of his entire life, as he watched the love of his life, her body responding to an unreal violent penetration between her legs. "Raquel, please..Oh lord, please..please..", he begged and punched the bed with anger. "Raquel, if you can hear me.. Please don't be scared. I know it hurts, but it is going to be over soon.. I will be here when you wake up.. I am so sorry, my love. I don't know what to do to help, my love.", he succumbed to her abuse and kept uttering promises in her ears. To both their relief, she loosened her grip, closed her legs, and let out a painful moan as she hugged her knees and fell asleep. Sergio did not dare to approach her for the rest of the night._

The death of his parents and brother hurt him, but nothing was worse than the love of his life re-living her past sexual abuse in front of his eyes. Death felt easier, suddenly. He felt tears flowing down his eyes thinking about last night. His eyes were as swollen as hers, as he spent the entire night crying too. He wanted to hire a hitman and murder that asshole, but his brain told him that it won’t solve Raquel's trauma. He had to focus on helping her with PTSD and get the medical care she needs. First, he needs to find a way to talk to her about it. He wasn't sure how much she remembers, as she slept soon after it ended.   


"You are awake..", he greeted a weak looking Raquel as she entered the kitchen. "I felt better.", she yawned into his chest and hugged him tight. 

"Hija, How are you feeling ?", Marivi asked to which she only nodded and smiled. 

"Well, Let's eat.!", he invited her to the dining. 

"This is amazing, my love.", she smiled at him, but he knew she was only trying to look better and did not feel anything close to good. 

"He is getting better.", Marivi mocked to which Sergio laughed, but Raquel did not react. 

  
"Sergio, to our bedroom ?", she slowly suggested soon after lunch. Marivi wanted a nap and Paula was still in school. This was a perfect time for them to talk. "Of course, my love", he led her to their bedroom.

"How is your headache and tell me the truth, please ?", he asked while they settled on their bed. She crawled closer to him and let herself rest on his chest. "Better, but it still hurts a little. My body feels sore. And, I do feel very weak.", she whispered with a sigh. He gentle caressed her back and kissed her head. 

"Sergio, what happened last night ?", she murmured partly guessing what had happened, but still wanted some clarity. 

"My love, we were making love and I was on top...", 

"I asked you to..", she interrupted him trying to take responsibility. "We both agreed", he corrected her.

"...I was on top. Our fingers was intertwined and I allowed my weight on you." ,he continued, but held a pause to pull himself together and choosing the right words. "I think.. I think.. in that intensity, my hands held your wrists and you felt threatened by it. It triggered your past trauma and you had an episode, my love.", he said apologetically. 

"I am so so sorry, Sergio.", she muffled on his chest. 

"Don't be. I am sorry. I triggered it. I think you felt pinned down when I held you by your wrists.", he sniffed to stop his tears. He definitely did not want to cry in front of her and make her feel pitied.

"No, I am sorry..", she apologised over and over again.

"Raquel, please stop. We, both, can sit and feel sorry.. Or even better we can try to fix it ?",he proposed adjusting his glasses implying business. 

"Aren't you mad that I hid something this big from you ?"

"Raquel, you do not owe anyone the truth. Including me."

"But, If it's interrupting our lives, you should know.", she sighed sadly.

"Still, no!", he said strongly. "You don't have to feel obligated to talk about anything. Definitely not if you don't want to."

"Raquel, living with you, I learnt that your abuse was not just the three hits that you had previously told me about. Only yesterday, I... I understood there sexual violence too."

"Yes, there was.", she confessed in a low voice. "I never reported it because.. well.. people did not believe my claims about physical violence.. there was no point bringing up the sexual abuse..They already chose to side with him.". He hummed in comprehension and embraced her in his gentle warmth. 

"When I spoke to you about it in The Hanoi, we were newly acquainted and it would be too much. And, eventually you became the love of my life, in front of whom, I did not want look damaged. But, I clearly did not do a good job hiding it."

"Raquel, this was going to come out eventually. Sooner the better. Now, we have the time to fix it. This won't break us. It would make us stronger.". She looked up at him in content. To her biggest relief, he was being very mature about the whole incident. "How are you feeling ?", she enquired. 

"Me ? Well. I am angry. Very angry that someone, who you, once, loved and trusted, managed to traumatise you, not once, but many times. I spent the entire morning planning a painful death for him.", he gritted as rage built up again. She turned to look at his face scared of his racing heartbeat. "But, Don't worry. I realised that it won't help us. So, I want to focus on what's important. Us.", he kissed her worried face and watched her ease.

"I want to fix it too, Sergio. I am ready to do anything to help myself. Ourselves", she promised. "And, Sergio. Just between you and I, everything you witnessed yesterday, happened. Not once, but many times. When he was angry and got bored of beating me, he would force himself upon me. When I am tired or when I tell him I am not in the mood, he would get more irritated, accuse me of having an affair and.. and rape me. After many painful instances, I learnt that it was easier if I just gave in and I was right. It hurt less when I stopped resisting it and let him have his way with me.". She paused and continued, "Sorry for not telling you. I am very sorry you have to deal with this now. Please don't be mad at me or look at me differently now"

"Raquel, Look at me! ", he took her face, "I am not mad at you. I do feel some amount of rage towards him, but I will feel better when you feel better. I have always admired you for being strong, especially after you told me about your past. But, I now realise that it was only the tip of the ice berg. The depth of this thing only makes me look at you like you are the strongest human being there ever could be. In my eyes you will only see respect and admiration for the love of my life. Yes, you will see me empathising with you, but never mistake it for pity.", he hesitantly kissed her cheeks and she took his lips passionately. They fumbled for a while and stayed in their embrace. 

"Sergio, I want to find a therapist for me. We can start there ?", she proposed.

"Sweetheart, you do know if you go to therapy, you have to talk about all of it right ? You will literally be having conversations about it, all of it", he warned her.

"Sergio, I know, But it has to happen no ? I don't want us to be walking around egg shells worrying what could trigger me.", she defended herself bravely

"Okay then...", he kissed her forehead and hesitantly continued ," Don't be mad. I already know a good therapist for situations like ours.". She wasn't surprised at all. Of course, he planned it all. 

"Dr Lim. She runs a retreat centre in the city. I know her personally. I have been donating to her hospital, since I met you. And I...", he stopped very scared of how she would react to what he has to say next.

"And what ?", she asked with a warm smile.

"And.. Please don't be mad. Before you moved to Palawan, I consulted her a couple of times."

"Why ?", she frowned.

"I needed to know about some preventive measures to make you feel safe around me. Given your history."

"You did, huh ?", she kissed him and definitely not mad with him. He is the sweetest and the most considerate. He planned every step of their life and was prepared for moments like these. 

"You are not mad ?", he asked doubtfully and she met his lips passionately. "Does this feel like anger to you ?", she mocked him. It felt so relieving to be mocked by her. This meant, she was getting better.

"So, Dr Lim, works with women who have faced abuse. She is very warm and very effective. I have personally conducted surveys and research to evaluate her."

"Of course, you evaluated her, _Professor_ ", she mocked him more. He only giggled and kissed her. "So, book an appointment with her tomorrow then ?", she asked and quickly realised, he was the professor, the man who planned everything, "You already booked an appointment didn't you ?"

"Well", he chuckled adjusting his glasses. "I reserved a slot, I can go confirm it.", to which she nodded her confirmation. He held her while he texted his confirmation with his free hand. She felt her stomach twist once the appointment was official. She had to face it now, no running away. No unhealthy coping mechanisms. She had to dig out everything she buried at the back of her head. It was either that or spoil her future with Sergio. The later terrified her and she would go through anything to protect it. But, she was still nervous and anxious about the therapy. 

"My love...", she held him tighter. "I am very scared...", she muttered like a small child anxious about a hospital visit. 

"This fear is good, my love. I am scared too. But we will overcome this. I promise.", he promised her with more kisses 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am sorry it was a heavy story. But as they do always, they are going to work on it and get better, I promise!


	3. U-DARRE

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Raquel and Sergio meet Dr Lim, the therapist. They definitely get good news, but......

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't believe I am on chapter 3. I owe it to all your support and kind comments!! :D. This story is hard on my heart to write, but you guys keep me going!
> 
> I must say, i am very obsessed with your comments! I am sorry if the cliffhangers get on your nerves! But, I promise to post frequently :D :D I also promise to try my best to keep you attached to the story. 
> 
> I am very grateful for all the love and support.. Thank you so so so much !  
> 
> 
> This chapter is my gift to @TeamSerquel !

Sergio forced his eyes on the road but his whole body was aching to comfort her. She, who has been digging her own arms with her fingernails, anxious about the day ahead. Dr Lim’s retreat centre, as Sergio remembers it, had a very corporate look on the outside like a hi-tech hospital, which is what it was initially. Until, Dr Lim took over and made it a retreat centre, it used to be a corporate vulture admitting psychiatric patients who never came out looking better. Dr Lim, however tore down the capitalistic walls with a lot of struggle and made it a mental health reconstruction facility. From rehab to long term psychiatric care, the doctors and nurses strived hard to help patients with very less medications and interventions. Some of the staff were previous patients of the facility, who decided to continue contributing to the hospital. Dr Lim, however, was an expert in dealing with women who have been raped, abused, threatened or exposed to violence. None of those credentials mattered to Raquel. Throughout their entire hour long drive, she kept scratching her head and face, fixing her hair and messing it up again until Sergio had to physically stop her. Raquel’s breathing got a lot violent when Sergio parked their car at the entrance of the facility. 

“Raquel, my love.", he lifted her trembling face and held her in his arms.

"I am not crazy. I am not....", she whispered on his chest. 

"You are not, my love."

"I am not mental, Sergio. I don't deserve this.", she shivered in fear. 

"Raquel, Look at me.", he stared into his eyes. "You are not any of those things. You are facing impacts of your trauma and we are going to seek help, okay ?"

"I don't deserve this. I did not do anything wrong.", she repeated and hid her face in his chest

"No, you did not. I know this place looks scary from the outside. But, once you go in, you are going to love it.", he pressed many kisses and held her tight. "Do you trust me ?", to which she weakly nodded. 

"My love, I have been inside this service. I worked with Dr Lim to make this place comfortable.... to make it feel like a picnic.... I know how it looks like from the outside. But, I promise you, once you walk through those doors, you will be less scared", he whispered in her ears in the middle of his kisses. She nodded slowly.

"But, if you are not comfortable, we can go back home now. I will cancel the appointment. No need to rush, mi vida. We will go only when you are ready. Okay ?"

"NO!", she said hoarsely.

"Okay. We will sit here until you are ready to get out of the car." , he hugged her while he drew patterns on her back. She was shivering, crying and seemed to have lost her voice. Sergio was outraged by the unfair state of his love. None of this should have happened to the warmest and kindest woman he has ever met. But, this was not his moment to react. This is about her and her coping, not about him!

She slowly pulled away from his embrace and nodded her head while she staring at the hospital door. He got out of the car and opened the door for her. She hesitantly stepped out and refused to let go of the door handle. 

"One step at a time, my love. We have a lot of time.", he patiently stood next to her leaning on the car door. 

"What is going to happen ?", she finally spilled the only question she had in her mind all this while.

"Well, we will register ourselves. I think they will have forms that we should fill in for the records. We will meet Dr Lim. She will tell us what our course of treatment would be". Sergio ensured to be inclusive in his choice of words - we , our, us , to not let her feel secluded. He could feel her inhale his scent deeply, caressing her stomach to calm the butterflies and finally uttered, "Let's do this."

"Okay, My love.", he gently took her hand and walked towards the hospital door really slow. She walked slowly behind him terrified that it was all going to be official. She was going to talk about her life loud and clear. To her relief, they were not going to examine her body for bruises. They will believe her story and not conclude that she is pathological. But, that only made her owe more details to them. A sharp shiver went down her spine as she walked through those doors into the air-conditioned facility, she immediately squeezed Sergio's hand really tight. 

"You are very brave, my love.", he whispered taking her into his arms. "Do you want to stay like this for a while?", to which she faintly hummed. After many loving moments, she pulled away and nodded to proceed further. 

"Good morning.", greeted the receptionist when they reached the front desk. 

"Hi, Morning. My name is Sergio Marquina. We are here to meet Dr Lim.", he addressed the lovely cheerful lady, while holding Raquel with his free hand.

"Of course, and who is our guest for the day?", she asked. Sergio knew she was asking about the patient and remembered how Dr Lim insisted on not referring to her patients as 'patients' and instead they used the term 'guests' - guests of this retreat clinic. 

"That would be my wife, Raquel. Raquel Murillo.", he pointed at Raquel with his eyes, who was scanning the floor to avoid any eye contact. 

"Yes, I see an appointment for Raquel. The doctor is ready for you, actually. Please go to the U-DARRE wing and the receptionist there will take care of you.", she informed him and gave a warm welcoming look to Raquel. They walked out of the official entrance building and Sergio was right, the place looked like a picnic, very far from a typical hospital. Gardens, flowers, walking parks, jogging tracks, swings, hammocks, snack and refreshment joints and small benches around a man-made lake to sit around. 

"See, I told you!", Sergio exclaimed looking at Raquel's eased face. "Dr Lim and I worked on re-modelling this."

"It definitely has Sergio written all over it.", Raquel mocked him and they both laughed slowly. Nothing made him more happy than hear her utter a full sentence while all along she has only been responding with nods and hums. He, gently, kissed her forehead as they walked towards the huge white building ahead of them. A wave of seriousness hit them as they stood in front of the building that read 'Unit- Domestic Abuse & Rape Rehab Element' (U-DARRE). Sergio swallowed the pain inflicted by just the title of the building. Raquel remained speechless and shifted very close to him.

"You are going to be okay, my love. It is just the name of the building.", he whispered sensing the panic rising in her. He held her as they gazed at the park and kept their focus away from the building. 

"Let's go. This has to be done.", it was Raquel who walked forward this time, but still holding his hand. 

"Mr Marquina. How nice to see you, again ?", another receptionist greeted them.

"Hi Jennifer. We are here for Dr.Lim."

"Of course. So, this must be Raquel. ", she waved at Raquel who kept a tight face and nodded. 

"Mr Marquina, Dr Lim is ready for you. But, you will need to fill up these forms, before I take you in. Okay ?", Jennifer shuffled her desk to find three forms and brought it to them.

"Now, Raquel! No hurries in filling these. Take you own time. There is a private room around the corner. There is water and some pens as well. Okay ?", Jennifer handed the forms to Raquel and shot her a warm smile. Raquel, however, tensed up when she took the forms and only nodded in response.

"Raquel, would you like Mr Marquina with you while you do this ? It is your choice."

"Yes, I do.", she answered and they both went into the corner office. There forms made Sergio equally nervous as some of the information she was going to declare, was brand new to him as well. 

"Where do you want to start first ?" , he asked pointing at three forms titled - Personal details, Medical history, Psychiatric history.

"The personal details one sounds easy.", Raquel picked up a pen to fill out details on that form. It was straight forward - her height, age, weight, current address, until they stumbled upon one question.

' _What is your current relationship status?_ ", to which Raquel looked at Sergio for moment and then wrote - _Domestic Partnership_ , even though they both wanted to write ' _Married_ '.

The medical history form had trivial questions about Raquel's prior medical issues - BP, Diabetics etc. Then came the tough ones.

_Have you ever been admitted in a hospital as a result of your abuse ? - No._

_Follow-up question, Did you self-medicate to avoid going to a hospital ? - Yes._ And then, she was asked to list the medicines. Sergio was surprised by all the pain-killers she had been taking to survive those dark days. 

_Have you passed out as a result of abuse ? - Yes._ Raquel started to tremble while she answered this question. Sergio, thoughtfully, got a box of tissues and a cup of water predicting they both might need it at some point. 

_List body parts that were most injured during abuse ? - Torso, arms and face._ Tears filled in both their eyes. Raquel hesitantly took her hands to her face to caress her cheeks. Sergio clenched his fists to control the rage building up. Raquel clung to his neck and sobbed violently. 

"I can't.. I can't do this , Sergio.. I can't relive this.", she cried her and her entire body shook.

"Sweetheart, Let's take a break.", he said and kept the two completed forms aside, placed her on his laps and gently caressed her while she cried in his embrace. 

"Okay, I am ready again.", she sniffed and wiped her face. 

The Psychiatric form was the most toughest of all. Sergio could't feel his stomach churning at some questions.

 _Select the type of Above : Physical/Emotional/Sexual - All of the above._ Panic started to rise in Sergio's face, while to his surprise, Raquel kept a straight face.

 _Have you ever attempted suicide? - No._ She paused for a minute to answer it. But, the answer relieved him. 

_Has the idea of suicide crossed your mind? - Yes._ His eyes went wide at her response. He rushed to feel her for his own comfort. She needed his touch too. She looked at his worried face, "Only once, cariño. When it got too painful. I am fine now". Her attempt to comfort him did not work, but they continued. 

  
_Have you been raped ? - Yes._ This time Sergio let a cough out, unable to hold himself together any longer.

_How were you related to the rapist ? - Ex-husband._

  
They both allowed themselves to cry in each other's embrace after they reached the end of the form. Speechlessly they sat together but looked away from each other, until Raquel broke the silence, "That was tough!"

"I am so sorry, my love", he looked very sorry, one could tell from his hurt eyes. 

"But, I think I am ready to meet the doctor", Raquel stiffened and got on her feet. This woman was an inspiration. Yes, she cries, breaks, but always makes it through and it inspired Sergio so much. Dr. Lim, as she pictured, was an experienced looking therapist in a very minimalistic office. Her room had a neutral coloured couch, chairs, pillows and basic amenities. 

"Well, Hello!", she greeted Sergio and hugged Raquel.

"You must be Raquel!", she exclaimed and did not get the energy reciprocated from Raquel. "Oh, this man cannot stop talking about you!", she rolled her eyes at Sergio. Finally, that got Raquel to giggle a bit. Dr Lim could break any tough shell, Raquel was no exception. Sergio relaxed at the sight of Raquel slowly ease up around the therapist. She, even, joked and laughed while she spoke about their home. It was really the first time she laughed since the incident. Dr Lim, however, wrote notes and her observations while listening to them. 

"Now, Raquel. Would you please wait outside ? I need to talk to Sergio, before I speak to you. Okay ?". By then Raquel was very comfortable around the doctor that she gladly walked out. 

Dr Lim wanted to know about Sergio's observations based on the time he spent with Raquel. She already knew some parts of their story - Sergio left out the part about the heist, of course. But, she knew that Raquel was a cop and they met in Spain while she was just freshly divorced. Sergio started with the nightmares, sleep-talking and landed on the PTSD episode. Dr Lim kept a neutral face throughout!. Even when Sergio explained every detail of the episode, her face did not react. 

When Sergio was done, she let out a heavy sigh and said "It hurts when you are promised to be loved, but get beaten up instead. Worst, raped!" 

"I am so sorry, Sergio.", she sat next to him and comforted him while he cried a little. "I .... I ...ju...st want her to be okay.", he cried. 

"Me too. You know what I observed. She is very strong.". she said. He nodded.

"It is both good and bad. Her strength would help her recover faster when I manage to break into her mind and expose the raw wounds to herself. But bad, because it makes my job very difficult... to get into her mind", she smiled. "We are going to be okay.", she took his hand and promised. 

"I will help her. She is not the first woman I have met in this condition. To be honest, I have seen worse. Raquel's condition is reversible.". Her words were gold to his ears. "Now, I cannot promise you a smooth road. She is going to have breakdowns, but I am confident she will make it. ", she warned and reassured. 

"Of course.", he nodded.

She went out to call Raquel back in, while Sergio wiped his face and kept a smiling face for her. "Now, Sergio. It is time for me to speak to Raquel. ", she dismissed him from her office. 

Her conversation with Raquel was very pleasant. They spoke about her childhood, her parents, sister, school, hobbies, friends and college. Dr Lim intentionally did not touch any potential hard topics. 

"Sergio, the doctor want to meet us together!", Raquel asked Sergio to come back in. 

"Okay. First of all, It was nice to meet you, Raquel. I am sorry that we had to meet on such circumstances, but still makes it very joyful for me!"

"I did do a small character analysis while I was speaking to you. And, Sergio shared some knowledge that helped my analysis too", she clapped her hand making them very uncomfortable. Raquel and Sergio shot anxious looks at each other and held their hands when the suspense was building in the room. 

"I have both good and bad news!", she announced. 

"The good news is, Raquel, your case is not as hard as you might imagine it is. I understand you did have some rough patches in the last few weeks, but that is very normal for people with trauma such as yours! With few months of therapy, we can help with the PTSD and even the nightmares too.!"

"The best news is, we can do all this without the help of pills. Thanks to your willpower!". Sergio was on cloud nine on listening to such promising words from the doctor. Raquel was going to be okay. They could find a way to help her trauma. He exhaled deeply letting go of all his worries. He wanted to jump and hug the doctor, but it was too soon. 

  
"But, what's the bad news ?", Raquel asked suddenly bursting the happy bubble for both of them. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave a kudos if you liked it :D I would love to read your comments! I appreciate your time and encouragement:D :D


	4. Mama, I have a Ouchie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Raquel spends one last night with her family before she starts her engagement with Dr Lim!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all, I apologise for making you an anxious by the cliffhanger!.. I did not want to leave you hanging too long, as I like you guys too much and can't stand to impose such stress on you. :D .
> 
> Thank you so so much for reading this fiction. I am very glad you enjoy it so far . you guys are a serious encouragement to keep me writing more.... It makes me very happy to interact with all of you via these fictional characters!! :D :D 
> 
> Thank you so so much !!

“Mi Amor..”, he turned his head taking the eyes off the road for a moment to check on a grumpy Raquel who refused to sit next to him on their way back home, furious, mostly with herself. All of his attempts to get a word out of her, failed. He sighed and stopped at a coffee shop. "I will be back.", he informed and left without getting a slightest acknowledgement from her end. He wasn't gone for too long, he shot occasional glances at the car to check on her. When he came back, he brought two coffees and a strawberry pie for them to share. He loved sharing deserts with her and adored her cute face when she had cream spread all around her mouth. Mostly, he enjoyed kissing the remainders off her face.

"So, I got coffee and a pie. You and I are going to stay here until you are ready to talk. We are not going home until we your head.", he informed, handed her the coffee and gently massaged her scalp. He watched her scratch the surface of her coffee mug drowned in deep thoughts.

"Hey Hey.. shhhh", he quickly took her in his embrace when he noticed small drops of tears on the coffee mug. 

"I don't...", she cried. 

"Raquel, it is good for us. Good for you.", he tried to convince her. 

"I know. But, I can't stay away from Paula and our family for so long.", she muffled on his chest moistening his shirt.

"Raquel, it's only two weeks. And, Dr Lim explained why it was better for you to stay at the facility.". After their first consultation, Dr Lim promised to help Raquel deal with her trauma and sounded very confident about it. However, she wanted Raquel to get admitted in the facility for two weeks. The therapy is expected to take a huge toll on her causing mood swings, rage, massive breakdowns and it wasn't advised to be in a domestic setup while dealing with a volatile mental process. Raquel tried to argue but the doctor strongly advised her to stay at the facility. It was better for Raquel as she would have the liberty to express her emotions with no pressure to be composed and it was better for the family to not watch her rollercoaster ride. 

"Why are you so eager to send me away ?", she snapped looking into eyes. "Can you stay without me for two weeks ?"

"Raquel, It hurts me to think you are not going to be by my side for 14 long days. But, I am willing to work through my selfish pain, if that has a one in a million chance to help you.", he said with sad eyes. 

"I am scared. What if I get a nightmare and you are not there ?", she whispered into his chest.

"There are experts around to help."

"Well, they won't hug me or say sweet things to me."

"We can still speak on their landline. We can speak everyday", he suggested. Dr Lim handed a list of things she was allowed to carry when she gets admitted. The first thing that was not allowed was her cellphone. 

"You know it's not the same!", she argued.

"I know. But, I want you to be able to sleep without nightmares and make love to you without accidentally hurting you.", he made his strongest point and that kept her down for a while. 

"I want a bigger piece of that pie.", she gladly took her bribe. "What if I am having a really bad day ?"

"I will be at the facility in the next hour to see you. I promise.", he took her in his arms and she seemed to relax a bit. As they drove off, she turned to him with a worry again, "What do I tell Paula ?"

" _We_ can tell her you are going on a two-week work project. And, when you are having a good day, you can talk to her on phone.". Sergio only said it to comfort her. It would definitely be hard on her to stay away from her child. However, Dr Lim suggested to limit her conversations with her child as that would only push her to lie to herself to stay strong for the kid, as she always did. Sergio was the only contact she was encouraged to have, as the whole therapy was to help her and their relationship. 

  
"And, my mom ? If she is having a good day, she will read my mind !", she asked with wide scared eyes and it was very adorable how she, a 40 year old woman, feared her mother. 

"I am aware of the genetic lie detector you three carry!", he joked. The Murillo women just needed to stare at people for truth to come spilling out. It worked magic on Sergio, to his misfortune. "But, actually I do not know what to expect from your mother. We will try telling her it's a project and if she probes further, we will spontaneously deal with it.". Him, not making a thorough plan, was shocking to both of them, but the uncertainty in Marivi's memories made it difficult to plan all corner cases. Moreover, Sergio did not want to intervene in their relationship too much. He could say words to comfort her, but she has to go through with all of this. He held her tight as she rested on his arms for one last time, before they went home to inform the rest of the family.

"I thought you said you never have to work..", little Paula squealed on top of her voice, very disappointed with her mother as she heard about the ' _project_ '

"I know, cariño. I wish I did not have to go. But, there is a bad guy and they need me to chase him away. It is good for all of us.", Raquel tried to explain in the simplest way possible. 

"Why can't Sergio go with you ?", Paula pointed at him sitting next to Raquel. 

"Then, Who will take care of you and abuela, if he goes with me ?", she asked the kid.

"Then, who will take care of _you_ ? What if the bad guy is _really_ bad ?", the girl repeated the question and rushed to cling onto her mom. Raquel held her tight and stroked her hair gently. Her eyes moistened by the concern her child had and it was very emotionally draining to think about staying away from her for two weeks. Sergio took them both into his embrace and gently caressed Raquel's cheeks.

"Paula, listen to me. Your mom is going to be safe. She is not going too far away. I am allowed to visit her. So, I will go see her often. You can even send painting and letters. I will deliver them for you. And, there are other good guys who will protect your mother. So, she is going to be fine!", Sergio whispered assuring words to Paula, hoping to reuse his words to comfort him too. 

"Are you sure ?", the girl now jumped to his lap and threw her arms around him. "Yes, my princess.", he wiped her tears away and pressed a lot of kisses on her head.

"That went better than expected, I suppose.", Sergio sighed as they walked towards their living room. "I think it is because she respects your words. She believes in you. And, she knows you will protect us", she kissed him. "You handled it very well sweetheart", she appreciated him in between kisses. 

"I will go make dinner.", she pulled away.

"No No Raquel. Let me. Please. You must be tired.", Sergio pulled her back to him.

"Sergio, please. I want to cook for my family today. Before.. you know.. going away... as a goodbye...", she teared up.

"Wait.. are you doing this tomorrow ?", his mouth wide open barely able to push words.

"Yes yes, Of course. If we have decided to do it, Sooner the better, no? I don't want to be anxious thinking about it ?", she gently caressed his beard while reading his eyes. "Cariño, are you alright ?", she furrowed noticing his shiny moist eyes. 

"I.. I...", he stammered defeating to his own words.

"Let's go somewhere private.", she realised they could get interrupted in the living room. She needed space and time especially to get words out of him, so they went into their bedroom.

"So, tell me, my love. What's wrong?", they sat next to each other on their bed and she took his face in between her warm palms.

"It.. It's .. ju...st..you are ... going.. away..", he jerked and let out a cry resting his head on her shoulders. Raquel adored his tender broken child-like heart.

"Look at me, this bed... the bed that is supposed to hold our greatest memories, now, terrifies me. I am scared something will trigger me again.. I am sad that you felt helpless when it happened and you had sit through it... More sad that you haven't been able to initiate a kiss with me ..and you are so careful around me.. and we haven't even thought about sex since that night.!", she whispered as she held his face tight to maintain eye contact. 

"We need this. For us... I am determined to fix it. And, make love to you like there is no tomorrow..", she chuckled sadly.

"I know.. I know.. But.. but.. I will miss you.", he kept a puppy face, but not crying anymore. 

"You gave me a whole lecture in the car!", she looked offended and amused by his reactions. That doesn't seem to cheer him up, so she played her last card , "Okay.. What is more difficult ? missing me for 14 days or not having sex for the rest of our lives ?", she mocked. 

"I will go pack your bags! We can leave soon after sunrise!", he jumped out of bed gesturing to find a suitcase. She gave him an evil smile knowing the plan worked - they both can't keep their hands off each other, she knew that. 

As Raquel wanted, she made dinner for the family. In fact, she went overboard and spoilt them with so many delicious food options - Pizza, chips, home-made ice cream, chocolate cake. Paula was extremely happy with her bribe as she stuffed her face with more chocolate cake. 

"Hija, whose birthday is it ?", Marivi asked. 

  
"Noone's. Mamma is just treating us because she is going on a project.", big mouth Paula blurted out before the adults had a chance. 

"What ? How long ? I thought you never had to work ?", Marivi shrieked as stopped eating and stared at Sergio.

"I thought so, too. But, some bad guys are in the city and Mamma has to go.", Paula babbled earning a scold - "PAULA!", from her mother. 

"What bad guy ? Why don't I know about this ?", Marivi worried and upset with her daughter's decision. She needed explanation - a very detailed one. She had the 'strict mother' -explain yourself, Missy, look on her face and that seemed to intimidate Raquel. Her, being on a very good memory day, isn't really favourable to them. 

"Mamma, can we please speak after dinner ?", Raquel asked respectfully. 

"I don't care. You are not going anywhere risky.", she ordered firmly. They were finally happy and she had a chance to spend time with her daughter. She was unsure of how many such days she has left, and she did not want to lose it to some bad guys. 

"Listen to your mother, Mamma. You taught me that!", Paula smirked earning a surrendered plead from Raquel, "Paula, Por favor". Sergio dropped another scoop of ice-cream into her bowl hoping that would shut her up - It worked!

To Paula's misery, Raquel announced 'Bed Time' as soon as dinner was over. "But, it is not fair. !!", the girl screamed, crossed her arms and protested. 

"You can read in your room for a while, if you like.", Raquel loosened the strings a bit. 

"No, I want Sergio to play with me.", she demanded loud and clear. They couldn't blame her. She just had dinner and can't fall asleep right away. Raquel strict face stood no chance in front of her cute protests. She, who herself, is in an emotional moment, spending the last night with her family, did not want to ruin their night. 

"Fine..Sergio ?", she asked if Sergio was okay with it. 

"Yes, I think I will go play with her. You use this chance to talk to your mother", Sergio eyed, carried the girl to her room and tickled her to cheer her up. Raquel smiled at their bond and captured it with her eyes. It saddened her to think that she won't be able to see this for another two weeks, but she was doing it for a greater good. 

"Mamma, por favor. Can we please speak in your room ?", Raquel cleared her throat and took her mother's hand. They both sat down on her bed and said no words for a while.

"Did you see Paula and Sergio ? How beautiful they bonded !? Paula finally has a father. We are a complete happy family. Hija, mi amor, why do you want to risk ruining it ?", Marivi broke the silence and asked very patiently. She could sense some amount of sadness in her daughter's eyes when Sergio and Paula disappeared into their room. 

"Mamma... Mamma.... It's a special project. And, Sergio's friend is involved in it. He wanted someone who could help in the investigation.. Someone with experience. I have it. I thought I could help. It has been a while since I worked...It will help me brush my skills too..", Raquel built up story on-the-go and thought she was making a convincing case, until Marivi gestured her to stop. 

"Stop. Please..", Marivi shook her head in disbelief. "Enough of lies. I am your mother, I know when my child is lying.", she said untangling a piece of cloth from Raquel's hand. As a child, Raquel always meddled with something when she lied. This did not go unnoticed by Marivi, of course. It was either a piece of string, scarf that would end up tying her hand. Old habits, die hard - Raquel still does it. 

"Mamma...", she began to explain herself. 

"Hija, I know when you are lying. I have always known. When you were 9 and you lied to me after breaking your sister's pencil. I know you broke it because of you were angry and you wanted some attention from us. When you were 13, you lied about getting a A grade in a maths test - I really did not care about grades, so it did not matter. When you were 16, you told me you had an extra class in school, I know you ended up in bed with your boyfriend. I was actually happy for you. Now, I know you are lying...But..",Marivi did not understand why her daughter was not being truthful to her. But something definitely felt off. Raquel's started to tear up at her mother's words. Soon, those tears turned into a sob. She felt like a scared little girl seeking her mother's protection.

"Mamma.....", she cried and jumped to hug her.

"Hija, Mi vida, Is everything okay ? You can tell Mamma. I will understand! Did you and Sergio have a fight ? Are you sick ? Please tell me you are okay.", Raquel sobbed violently and was unable to speak. Marivi held her closer, tremendously worried about her child, who is now watering her neck with tears. 

"Mi Amor, tell Mamma.. Please.. I am scared..", she begged hoping to get some words.

"Mamma.. Mamma... me and Sergio are fine. Sergio is amazing, actually. It's me..", she lifted her head for a moment, but life was getting too heavy. Hence, she buried herself back in her mother's neck and cried louder.

"Okay. What about you ? Are you sick ?", she asked and felt her head shake in denial. 

"No No.. Health if fine.. well, my mental health is not."

"Do you need those anti-depressants again ? Are you getting nightmares ?", Marivi asked.

"No Mamma.. No.. I mean, yes I still get nightmares. But, this is different. Mamma, I will tell you. But, promise me to not worry too much okay ? I am worried about your health too."

"Screw that. Tell me what is going on ?", Marivi sounded very serious and scared. 

"Mamma, Alberto.. He did not just beat me.. Sometimes it was worse than that..", she started unable to find the right words. She was careful not to use the word 'rape' around her mother. Marivi looked at very confused - _what could be worse than that ?_

"Mamma.. sometimes.. he.. was not a gentleman in bed...", she admitted not looking her mother in the eye. "He was very violent.. and ended up hurting me..."

"How.. How can that happen ? He is supposed to be your husband !", Marivi hoped she heard her wrong. She only scoffed at her mother's words. 

"It happens, Mamma. It is like this... when I didn't want to make love, he would just get very angry at me... yell at me..tear my clothes off without consent and ...", she couldn't complete her sentence. She hurried to hide her face under her palm regretting why she told her ailing mother. 

"Que mierda, Raquel!! What are you telling me, Raquel ? Why did not you tell me before ?", her mother sounded stupefied and pissed off. 

"Mamma, I .. he told me I was not being a good wife.. ", she sniffed and broke down again. "I did not know what to do..until it became unbearable..."

They both cried in each other arm's for a really long time. Marivi felt like she failed as a parent not only to Raquel, but also to Laura, who is now with that monster. "Hija, when it did happen first ?", suddenly realising this had happened too many times. 

"A year after Paula was born. I was too stressed with motherhood and work.. and..", before she could finish her mother shushed her not wanting to hear further. Marivi's mind was spitting profane words at her former son-in-law, but froze when she remembered her younger child, "Wait.. does Laura know ?"

Raquel weakly nodded, "I told her when they started to date. She called me a liar and a lunatic.!"

"That idiot girl!. If a police inspector can't defend herself from such abuse, I don't know what she will do.", she sighed heavily, but her focus remained on Raquel.

"Hija, why is this coming up now ? Is Sergio..?", she asked really hoping she was wrong.

"Oh god. No No, Mamma. Sergio is perfect. But, this trauma is disturbing our intimate life. So, we .. we went to a psychiatrist who deals with women like me.", she wiped her face and continued, "She.. She assessed my mental condition and recommended therapy. But, for the next two weeks, she wanted me to stay at the facility as the therapy could be intense."

Marivi nodded fast, "Of course. Of course. It is very important. Does Sergio understand all of this ?"

"He really does. He has been helping me with my nightmares, but this is just too much for the both of us. So, he is helping me get medical attention."

"Such a good man, he is", proud of the shy man. "So, you are leaving tomorrow ?", she asked.

Raquel nodded. "Morning, yes. I will be back in two weeks. You can ask Sergio anything you want in the meantime. He will take good care of you guys, okay?". She slowly rested her heavy head on her mother's lap.

"Oh don't you worry about us. You chase that asshole out of your mind. He is the bad guy you need to chase out of your head!. You are Raquel Murillo, the force of nature, my powerful child. I know you will be fine.", she patted her shoulders gently and massaged her head. Raquel relaxed under her mother's warmth while Marivi stroked her little girl's hair. After exchanging cried, Marivi whispered sweet words to her worried child as she fell asleep on her lap. Marivi took this opportunity to cry her heart out. 

  
"Is everything okay?", Sergio popped his head.

"Yes Yes. Come in, my love", Marivi quickly wiped her eyes. 

"Are you upset she is leaving ?", he asked naively. "Don't worry. I will do my best to take care of you. It won't be as good as Raquel being around. But , I promise to try.", he assured sitting at the corner of her bed. 

"Oh No No! Sergio, darling. I am fine. I am just worried about her."

"Err Oh don't worry. She will be okay. Her project will be over soon." 

"Sergio, mi hijo, I know she is going to the hospital. I know the truth.", she welled up again. 

"ummmm I am sorry. I din't mean to lie to you.", he apologized.

"Oh no no, Thank you. Thank you for being supportive. Thank you for being her rock when she needs one. She doesn't ask for help. But, you always know when to pitch in. I have seen that.", she caressed Sergio's hand. "It just makes me feel like a failure.. as a mother.. knowing that my child cried herself to sleep throughout her marriage... and I did not know..I was naive..my idea of a husband is totally different from what she has seen.. ", she embarrassedly hurried to wipe off her tears. 

  
"My husband and I, we showed our kids love. We never fought in front of them. We never raised our voices in front of our kids. So, I can imagine how the world crumbled down for Raquel when the man who swore to love her and protect her, harmed her in unspeakable ways. That asshole!", she gritted her teeth in anger. Sergio, who has only seen a happy, cheerful and playful Marivi, remained speechless letting her vent out. 

"My husband left us trusting that I will take care of our girls. I failed as a wife! I have a traumatised 40-year old girl curled in my lap and a another girl living with that monster.. I failed as a mother..I just want to fly to Madrid and kill that man for hurting my baby", she weeped caressing Raquel's head. 

"I wanted to...to. murder him. I was so angry. I feel like a failure too. I feel so helpless. It took me a while to channel my energy on Raquel and not waste time on him.", Sergio adjusted his glasses and took deep breathes to calm down. "Marivi, I promise you now. If in future, Raquel's sister is in trouble, I will do everything in my power to help her be safe. I haven't met her and, I know she and Raquel have their differences. But, you should know, she is family too. I will be there for her if that situation ever comes." , he promised taking her hand into his. 

"And, probably plan a murder too", he said jokingly and they both let out a laugh. "Oh, please include me in that plan", she made a deal with the man with all the plans. 

  
"If it's okay, let her sleep with you. She is too scared about tomorrow. I think it would comfort her, if you are around.", Sergio proposed.

"I was about to ask you the same.", Marivi smiled at his thoughtful proposal. 

"Good night. Please try to rest well. We should stay strong for her. She needs us. Okay? ", he nodded and squeezed her hand for one last time. He, then, walked over to Raquel and pressed a kiss on her head, caressed her hair a bit before he made his way to the door. 

"Good Night, mi hijo", she smiled. He turned off the lights as Marivi laid next to her daughter and hugged her tight as she could. Marivi fell asleep peacefully knowing Sergio, with all of his strength, was going to take care of her first born symbol of love. Her quiet shy son-in-law, who she considers as her own dear son, not only crossed the ocean with a mother, child and a grandmother but was also open to welcome a sister-in-law if the time comes. A truly honourable man, she sighed and drifted into the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Seeee!!! cliffhangers this chapter! I told you I like you too much !! :D :D I am so so grateful for all your comments !!
> 
> Please leave a kudos if you like the chapter!! :D :D Please write a comment if you have anything you would like to see or improved in the future.... or even if you like things just the way they are, do let me know!


	5. See you in a fortnight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Family bids farewell as Raquel leaves home to chase some bad guys!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so so much for subscribing to this story!! I am very grateful for your kudos and comments so far!. I am very very glad to receive your kindness from all around the world! You are truly the best !! Hope you enjoy the chapter!!!

“Hey”, he said hoarsely as he felt a warm modest figure crawl into bed next to him. The familiar figure kissed him in return, hugged him tight and began to play with his bare chest. 

"Someone is awake!", he mocked sleepily.

"Wake up and unwrap me!", she said seductively and his eyes opened instantaneously. 

"Good Morning, my love", he kissed her and took her in his arms. "Why are you up so early ? Is everything okay ?", he asked between kisses.

"Yes Yes. I woke up to pee and realised I slept next to my mother. And you, sir, have been enjoying this nice bed without me. I cannot let you be so happy for so long.", she said sarcastically. 

"Mi Amor, _Happy_ was not the list of things felt in your absence."

"Make love to me and may be you will start feeling it again.", she said and rubbed between his legs. He gladly obliged and slowly undressed her and let her take them on a ride. They came naturally, however the whole experience was nerve wrecking for both of them as this was their first time since the last episode. Sergio was careful to make her feel in control of her body the whole time and Raquel focussed on keeping her head clear. 

"That could have gone better.", she sighed and rested on him.

"What are you talking about, my love ?", he caressed her cheek worried.

"Sergio, we both were making love on egg shells - if that's even a thing to say!", she lifted her head shooting him an annoyed look.

"We were careful, yes. But, we are working towards it!. Dr Lim is going to help us.", he explained calmly.

"Hope it works! Don't you resent me ?", she asked playing with his chest hair.

"I do now!", he squealed and she immediately looked at him in shock. "WHAT ? you are pulling my chest hair and it hurts!.", they both laughed at his pained face and she gently massaged his chest. 

"You know what I mean."

"I never will, my love. Right now, we are having a hurdle. I am confident there is nothing we can't beat when we are together", he held her worried face close to his chest and allowed her to rest against his heartbeat while he caressed her bare back. 

"Also, Sorry for sleeping off with my mother, yesterday. Did you feel lonely?"

"I missed a certain human creature throwing her hands and legs around me in the middle of the night.", he joked. "But, she needed it. You both needed it. I can't begin to imagine what she must be going through."

"How do y..?",she asked surprised by how much he knew about last night. 

"Well, I came in to check on you. You were asleep. I had a talk with your mother, who seemed shattered!. I never seen Marivi like that. I figured you told her the truth.", he teared up remembering Marivi's pained face. 

"I told you I can't lie to her.!", she warned. They both shuddered a their 5AM alarm went off. It was time to get ready as they had to be at the facility at 10AM. Sergio watched Raquel walk to their bathroom leaving him alone in their bed. He looked at their room, the room where he is going to spend his time alone, while the love of his life battles her own mind. He wanted to be next to her, hold her hands through every breakdown, but was not allowed to. He exhaled heavily and let his worries out with his breathe. He dusted the suitcase that he has picked for her and put it on their bed. Being a planner, he already had selected some clothes, neatly folded them and it only needed Raquel's approval. 

"Umm, Raquel. I picked some clothes for you - night and day wear and your delicate wear too. Would you check if they would be sufficient and comfortable ?", he asked pointing at a pile of her clothes as she exited the bathroom. She, who had taken a quick shower, came out amused by his arrangement.

"Well, Well, Aren't we prompt, Professor ?", she winked as she took his lips. 

"I like to be organised!. This is a two-week long event. So, I made a checklist of everything you would need and kept them ready."

"How nice!. I just like to grab things I can reach and stuff it in my suitcase. Then, jump on it and.... shut it close.", she added her idea of packing. 

"I am going to pretend I did not hear that.", he looked away from her face hiding the disgust from his, earning her giggle. It was his turn to use the bathroom while she packed.   
He had picked a set of comfortable pants, jeans, shirts, tank tops and delicates. Next to them, she noticed a small travel purse. The man had packed a set of toiletries including tampons and feminine wipes. She caressed the purse and chuckled sadly at his thoughtful gesture. What did she ever do to deserve a man like him ?

  
"Umm, Cariño, why did you pack a party dress and make-up?", she asked as he hugged her from the back

"I thought you might need it?", he asked adjusting his glasses.

"Sergio, I am visiting a psychiatric facility. Not going on a girl's trip to Miami!", she exclaimed. 

"What if you make some friends there and you wanted to hang out ? I want to be prepared for every possibility, Raquel.". It is true, his checklist did cover all possibilities. "In fact, I wanted to pack you some fever medicines and other tablets. But, I don't think they would allow that."

"You are a sweetheart. You know that?", she grabbed his beard and kissed him tight. 

"Raquel, I.. I, also, thought if you needed any of my T-shirts. In case, you wanted to....", he hesitantly offered his librarian shirts. "Also, I already took some of yours to help me when I miss you.", he pointed at her shirts. 

"Mi Amor, I love you so so much.", she teared up and packed his shirts. 

"Shh..", he caressed her as she welled up. They both remained in their embrace until they were interrupted. 

"Hija!", Marivi knocked and entered. "Are you packed already?", she asked surprised by her daughter's proactiveness. 

"I didn't. Sergio got too excited and wanted me out.!", she said accusingly.

"Ignore her, Sergio. I am glad you din't let her pack. She is very messy. ", Marivi complained. 

"Hija, I got you my favorite scarf and my shirt. Incase, you know.. you miss Mamma!"

  
"Why is everyone so sweet today?", Raquel screamed and packed her mother's clothes too. 

"And.. I got you my favourite bracelet. This is my lucky bracelet. You dad gave it to me when I was scared of being in labor with you!", Marivi locked a silver bracelet with a capital 'M' in the centre around her daughter's arm.

"Thank you, Mamma!.", she hugged her tight. "I am really hungry, can we eat?", she asked, avoiding her tears, and led the two out. 

Sergio started to make cheese omelettes, sautéed mushrooms, toast, soup and fresh fruits. He did not let Raquel touch a thing and made it all by himself. He occasionally glanced at Raquel resting her head on her mother's shoulder delivering mixed emotions on her face. She was scared, angry, sad, proud, brave, happy and peaceful - all at once. It was overwhelming to watch. "Mamma!", Paula rubbed her eyes as she settled on her mother's lap. The mother-daughter duo cuddled, tickled and laughed really loud. When Sergio fixed everyone's plates, "I want Mamma to feed me.", Paula protested. 

"Aren't you too old for that ?", Marivi mocked the little girl who hid her face in her mother's neck.

"It's fine. She usually wants me to feed her when she knows I am going away for a while.", Raquel explained and started to cut the omlette into small morsels for the little girl. Breakfast was a lot of fun. No-one spoke about Raquel's project. They all spoke about other fun memories and mocked each other. Pain struck like a thunder when it was time for them to get going. Sergio volunteered to get her suitcase out, while she consoled a teary-eyed Paula. He caressed the suitcase and gave it a quick kiss, unsure why he did it. He let out a heavy sigh and carried their suitcase. Paula who was still crying clinging onto her mother's neck, was not ready to let go. 

"Paula, mi vida. Listen to me. I will be back soon okay ? You and Sergio and Abuela have fun and be safe, okay ? Be nice to Sergio, he is new around kids. You have to take care of him for me, okay ?", she whispered a little pact to her child. 

"Wait.!", the girl screamed and ran into her room. 

"Hija, everything is going to be okay! You are my bravest child and chase that asshole out of your mind. Focus on your life with Sergio, okay ?", Marivi pressed really long kissed on her cheeks struggling to hide her tears. 

"Mamma, You take care okay ? Be careful. Eat your medicines. Talk to Sergio if you need anything. Okay ?", they both nodded. 

Paula ran to them holding a card and a pen. "I made this card for Mamma. I want you all to write your names. ", she looked at Sergio and Marivi. They both gladly took the card and wrote a small message with their names. Paula had drew their house with all the four of them in it and wrote - "To my bravest and strongest Mamma, Chase the bad guys and come back soon. I miss you and I love you so so much. Paula Murillo". _Paula Murillo._

"Paula, mi amor. I don't know what to say. Thank you so so much!", she kissed her a lot and couldn't get enough. Raquel was surprised how she managed to hold her tears for so long. She did not want her family, especially her child, to see her cry. Hence, she held a brave smile. They kissed their goodbyes until Sergio started the car. Shortly after they hit the road, tears broke free and she let out a violent sob smelling her daughter's card. 

"Oh god...", she cried loudly. Sergio quickly pulled over and held her tight. "I wanted to stay strong for them, Sergio. I will really miss you all. I am already homesick.". He hummed and held her tight. "You will be fine, because you are the strongest woman I know!", he kissed her head and held her longer until she was finished crying. The facility was no more a strange place to them. They already knew their way around. Raquel had come to terms with the name of the building. Sergio, however, didn't. 

"Hello. My favourite couple is here!", Dr Lim greeted them from the hallway. 

"Dr. Lim. I did not expect to see you here."

"Sergio, come on. I am not going to let a nurse give you an orientation of the place you and I built. I thought we could take a short walk.", Dr Lim took them in a lift. While they walked into the residential complex, a lot of in patients greeted Dr. Lim and were very happy to see her. That was strangely comforting to Raquel, who was clinging onto Sergio's arms. People are not terrified by her, she thought and felt relieved. 

Dr. Lim made a stop outside Room number 21. "So, Raquel. This is going to be your room for the next two weeks. Although, I think you and I might be done even sooner.". She led them into the room. It was ordinarily spaced with a single bed, blankets, a cupboard and a bathroom. Nothing like a hospital. 

"Now, Raquel, for security reasons, you cannot lock the room.", earning a scared look from her. "But, don't worry no-one would enter it without your permission. And, it's very safe. The floor nurse would always be around.", Dr Lim hurried to comfort her. 

"I understand you are prone to nightmares, so the room has been fitted with a little microphone and a camera that nurses would use to monitor you. The moment you have a nightmare , they will be with you. I guarantee that.", she smiled assuringly. Raquel only looked at her blank-faced unwillingly to let go of Sergio's hand. 

"Thank you, Dr Lim.", Sergio responded while Raquel wandered her eyes around the room. Dr Lim perfectly understood her hesitance towards the new place and away from her family. 

"Raquel, I promise you. You will be out of here soon. Sergio can call you everyday. He can also come visit you.", she took Raquel's hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. 

"Settle down in the room. The coffee machine is around the corner. Help yourselves. I will see you downstairs in sometime ? I want to give you an overview of what to expect in these two weeks.", Dr Lim nodded and left them alone.

"Raquel..", Sergio reached towards her. "I am fine", she said bluntly. "Let's setup the room. You heard her, she is waiting for us.", Raquel opened her suitcase and froze. 

"Umm.. Raquel, I packed the blanket that we were recently using. It would smell like us for a while. It should help with the home sickness a bit.", Sergio answered to her puzzled stare. Within seconds, she was in his arms, her head buried in his chest and watering his shirt with her tears.

"That's very thoughtful.", she muffled and remained in his embrace longer. "We should get going.", she pulled away after a while. 

Raquel liked it if Sergio set their bed at home. Hence, he started with her bed. He gave it a good dusting and fluffing, while she arranged her clothes in the cupboard. When they were finally set, they sat on the bed for a while. 

"You know, I want to kiss you, but, there are freaking cameras here.", he chuckled at the cameras, but kissed her forehead. That wasn't enough, he kissed both her cheeks and wiped her tears. Still wasn't enough; screw the cameras, he took her lips softly. He held her for a while as she meddled with his shirt buttons.

"We should go.", Raquel sniffed and they walked to the reception. 

"Hello again, Is your room comfortable ?", Dr Lim greeted them with wide smile and asked Sergio. "It is, indeed, Dr Lim". It was Raquel who answered and took them both by surprise. 

"What ? I can talk!", she exclaimed defensively earning a laugh from both of them. Dr Lim took them to her office and handed them a pamphlet. "Raquel, this is our schedule. You and I will meet everyday in the afternoon for your therapy. In the morning, you will have some yoga or meditation classes.", she went over the schedule. 

"Oh and my favourite - the rhythms class. It is a technique to use beats and sounds to help people who have concealed their emotions. Like you!. It works like magic. Makes my job so easy!", she joked making Raquel very vulnerable that she went back to find Sergio's hand. 

"Oh, Don't worry. That's why I am here.", Dr Lim tried to say comforting words. It did not help! She gave them a short tour of the facility and left to say their goodbyes.

"So, this is it , huh?", Raquel awkwardly fiddled with her shirt. Both of them did not what to say. Her fairy tale had a happy ending. She, after so many struggles, finally found her shiny prince who crossed the ocean with her mother and daughter. The man, now, is offering to take care of her family while she fights her trauma. He did not deserve any of this. Her deepest gratitude meant dust in front of his gesture. She cursed her misfortune for breaking their perfect paradise and ending up in the psych ward. 

"This is the beginning, yes! Scared, Inspectora?", he mocked.

"A little, Professor.", she only answered sadly ,looking lost. 

"I am going to be a phone call away. I promise, mi amor.", he pulled her towards him. He needed it more than her. 

"Can I .. Umm.. Can I have your watch ?", she asked hesitantly. In the next minute, his watch was around her wrist next to her mother's bracelet. She nodded her gratitude.

"Oh, One more thing", Sergio pulled a zip-lock bag from his coat pocket. A packet of different origami figures took Raquel by surprise. Her millionaire boyfriend came up with a peculiar gift!

"Don't look at me like that.", he adjusted his glasses nervously noticing her mocking glance. "Raquel, there are enough origami figures for each day you are going to be here. Away from me. Away from our family.", he handed her the bag while she listened carefully. The professor had something for his dear Inspector. Sergio was scared so he had to take over. 

"Each of them symbolises something. Before going to bed, open one. It would contain the meaning of that figure and a small message from me. It is my way of saying 'Estoy Contigo'", he said with at most sincerity. 

"Clear", she quietly nodded.

"Of course, everything is dated and organised. So, please be careful to open the right one.". She glanced at the bag and noticed today's date on one of them.

"I should leave now, I suppose.", he checked his wrist for the time and realised his watch was with her. It was almost noon and he was concerned that the family would be hungry. 

"Take care of yourself and the family.", she asked looking down at her feet. 

"Raquel, look at me.", he lifted her teary face. She looked at him with her puppy eyes implicitly asking him to take her home. But, he can't. "You are the most valiant person, I have ever met. I am so so grateful that you are ready to do this for us. For you. Don't ever doubt yourself for what any asshole did to you. I am confident about Dr Lim. But, I am more confident about you, my love.", he pressed a kiss on her forehead. 

"Okay. ", she nodded trusting in his words. 

"Talk to you soon, okay ?", he kissed her and left reluctantly. He did not dare to look back at her. If she was waiting and watching him go teary eyed, he would be tempted to carry her home and also murder the man who hurt her. After reaching a few feet away from her sight, he looked back once. She was there, watching him go. But, no tears. She remained brave for him. This experience pains her, but it equally hurts him too. And, he did not ask for any of it, she thought. She smiled and turned around to go into the facility. He watched her go, and drove off home to his family. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And the therapy starts! 
> 
> Please leave a comment and kudos if you liked it. I would make me very happy ! Happy Weekend!


	6. Acquaintances

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 1 if therapy begins. Raquel also makes new friends :D

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, 
> 
> I hope you all doing well. Thank you for kudos, comments, bookmarks, subscriptions and your interest in this story! :D :D 
> 
> Big Big Big hugs from across the world! Your support is my biggest encouragement. Thank you for making me so happyee!!

While she walked to her room after saying goodbye to Sergio, the space around her was blurry. Tears flooded, absent minded, she reached her lonely and quiet room guided by her muscle memory. She caressed the origami bag, smelled his watch and kissed her mother’s bracelet and allowed tears to flow. It was too soon to call Sergio, she needed to show a bit more strength than that. After all, her mom and partner believed in her and, she needed to honour that by exhibiting some grit. The knock on her door pulled her from her saddened thoughts. 

“Hello.”, greeted three women with a wide smile as she opened the door.

"Umm.. Hi", she said softly. Does she really want to socialize with these people ?

"I am Lucia", said a chubby looking woman. "This is Clara", she pointed to a short haired one. "And, Hazel.", she pointed to a nerdy looking one. 

"Hello, I am Raquel.", she said still not inviting them inside. 

"Sorry, Are we disturbing you ?", Clara asked worried by her blank face. 

"Oh No NO!. Please come in. Sorry, I just said goodbye to my hus... partner, I was just ..."

"Oh no problem. We saw your husband dropping you with Dr Lim. We just wanted to say hello and check if you were homesick", Lucia squeezed her hands. 

"And, Looks like you are!", Hazel chuckled sadly. 

"Nice timing, I suppose.", Raquel chuckled teary eyed. Lucia hugged her tight and shushed her. "It will get better honey, I promise."

"Do you want to eat lunch with us ?", Clara asked. 

"Yea, maybe.", Raquel nodded wiping more tears falling from her reddened eyes. These women were so young in comparison. But, trauma doesn't see age. She felt like a baby crying over homesickness in front of them. The hospital cafeteria was simple and had small round tables and chairs. Small groups of women were gathered around chatting and enjoying lunch. They mostly had Asian food options, which Raquel loved. However, the food only reminded her of memories with Sergio and her family, making her miss home more. Lucia ran to catch a table with four chairs, while the others grabbed lunch and brought an additional tray for her. 

"So, Raquel. Do you like Asian food ?", Hazel asked. The girl, the youngest amongst them, was too smart, enthusiastic and observant for her own good. She, probably, noticed that Raquel doesn't look Asian and wondered if the food was to her liking. 

"I actually love it. We make a lot of these at home.", her eyes sparkled talking about her family. 

"That's lovely. Sorry, I just wondered as you don't look like.... umm.. well, like us.", Hazel politely offered her observation and Raquel was right about her judgement. Being a former cop herself, her people reading skills were still intact. 

"It's true. I am from Spain, actually. But, we moved to live here. My partner ... umm.. works with Dr Lim on the hospital."

"That is so cool. You know at any time, if you don't like the food, there is kitchen and we can make our own food. We just need a signed permission from Dr Lim. But, she is usually cool!", Clara added with wide eyes. 

"I guess, I should be fine with this food.", Raquel shook her head to avoid causing trouble for them. 

"What this shameless foodie is trying to suggest is... that maybe one day... you could make us some Spanish food...", Lucia mocked and earned an eye roll from Clara. 

"Oh, absolutely. We should do that...", Raquel nodded excitedly. 

"Before, I go please!", Hazel added with puppy eyes. The women got along so well, suddenly Raquel did not feel very lonely. The comfort the women brought her also made her feel guilty about not missing her family too much. She always thought she would be dreadful staying far away from family. However, to her surprise, she is laughing and making plans with these women who seem to have gone through the similar struggles as her. 

"So, what fun experience brought you here ?", Clara asked excitedly. Fun ?, Raquel frowned. 

"Don't get us wrong. We just crossed the phase of feeling sad for us and accepted the damage. You will get there too.", Lucia explained. 

"If you don't want to tell us it's okay. But, we don't mind telling you anyway.", Hazel added. "We four are the only in-patients in our floor. So, we just thought we should bond and get to know each other. That's all".

"Yea. I can go first. The longest one here. So, my husband, the supposed love of my life, threw acid on me after a fight!.", Clara offered to go first. It was only then, Raquel noticed the burnt skin on her body, but was curious how her face looked fine. Like she could read her mind, "Oh! my face is plastic surgery. Dr Lim has a friend in Thailand who did it for free. At least this way people will give me jobs. I am a pharmacist, by the way.", she said with raised eyebrows.

"Sorry, I was just...", Raquel apologised for her thoughts escaping her face.

"No, you are fine. Anyways, ever since then I am scared of transparent liquids. I did not shower for 5 years or drink water. Severe dehydration and hygiene issues...After a lot of therapy, I finally can shower with goggles for a maximum of 5 minutes. And I can drink water from an opaque container and eyes closed. My latest record... 1 litre water a day!", she said so proudly. And, the other women clapped. 

"I am so sorry...", Raquel squeezed her hand and shot her a smile with raised eyebrows, "I am so proud of your progress!"

"Dr Lim had to join me in the shower a couple of times. Which is creepy, but very helpful..Now, I know I like women too", she winked, everyone laughed and Lucia threw a tissue at her.

"Next is me!", Lucia raised her hands to go next. "Well... my boyfriend, who I knew for 12 years by the way, molested my daughter. So.... ", she rolled her eyes and exhaled for a minute. "I killed him. I was in prison for a decade and was released finally. Obviously, noone would offer a job to a felon, so I got addicted to some shitty drugs and started doing.... porn. I lost my child to the law and now she is with a foster family. Because, her mother, according to them, is a murderer and a drug addict who is incapable of raising her own child. And, I am just very pissed with the legal system.... and have had anger issues for a long time. Dr Lim helps me channel it. I was here for a year, by the way. I, recently, came back for a short therapy before starting my new job as a tailor with a clothing store."

Raquel teared up at the woman's story. The system failed her just like her case with Alberto, but much much worse! "Raquel, please don't be scared of me.. I am not a threat.", Lucia added after Raquel remained silent for a long time. 

"Oh god! No No. I am pretty pissed off at the system myself. I just related to you a bit. I was thinking about that..", Raquel wiped her tears and assured her. 

"That leaves me!", Hazel took over. "Husband and his friends raped me causing me to suffer a miscarriage.", she summarized her whole trauma in twelve words.

"I did not kill them. Though, I wish I did. But, instead I tried to kill myself.... 7 times!", she showed her both her wrists which had several stitch marks from attempts to cut her veins. "One day, I got tired of trying to die and decided to give life a chance... Read about Dr Lim... and have been here since six months. Actually, I am going out next week. I am a Chemistry graduate. I going to do a PhD programme in the local univeristy from next month. I, also, am going to start working as a junior teacher from next week!"

"That sounds incredible. Congratulations.!", Raquel smiled and gently threw her arms around the young one. Raquel already warmed up to the women. They trusted her with her personal stories and only wanted to make her feel less lonely. She was very grateful for that. As promised, none of them pushed to talk about her story. They had a very relaxed lunch and went back to their rooms for the day.

"Ms, Murillo, Dr Lim is ready for your therapy session.", the floor nurse informed Raquel causing panic to build within her. 

"Yea, Okay.", she whispered. She badly wanted to hold Sergio's hand and hug him tight. The butterflies in her stomach were starting to hurt her so much that she clenched her abdomen and sat for a while. The panic did not stop and she felt the urge to hurl her lunch out. 

"Hey.. shhh.", she felt Hazel hold her hair while she threw up in the sink. Her panic calmed down when Hazel hugged her tight from behind while keeping a hand on her hair. 

"Thank you, I am .. okay..", Raquel whispered as she splashed her face with some cold water. 

"I didn't mean to barge in. I saw you had your first therapy today. I came to wish you good luck and heard you in the bathroom."

"No, it's fine. I just got a bit nervous.", Raquel teared up and was hugged yet again by the woman. 

"Once you cross the first one, it will get less scary as you would ge familiar with the process. There are going to be tough days, but you have your friends on the floor to help you. We promise. Okay ?", Hazel held her face and offered her a fresh towel. Raquel only nodded slowly. "Now, be a brave lady and smash the shit out of that therapy. We will see you after, okay ?", she hugged her once again and left. 

Late that afternoon, when she met Dr Lim, it was an atypical beginning to a session. Dr Lim took her on a drive to an apartment in the heart of the city. Raquel anxiously meddled with her fingers throughout the drive. A therapy, to her knowledge, was two people on a couch talking about 'it'. This was oddly different from what was familiar. 

"Why are we here ?", she asked when Dr Lim opened the doors to the apartment. The apartment itself was setup like a European home, but not well organised. The sink had dirty dishes, the thrash was not emptied and the dining table had unfinished vine glasses dangerously close to the corner. She felt very restless when she noticed the unfinished business in the house and she exchanged looks with the doctor who did not seem disturbed by it. 

"So, Raquel. Would you be okay to clean those dishes for me ? Maybe just save the kitchen from that mess.". Raquel nodded curiously. This was nothing like the therapy she knew. The doctor did not ask about her depressing personal stories, instead started off with activities. She removed the vine glasses that were bothering her from the table and went into the kitchen. Once she cleaned the dishes in the sink, she carefully dried them and placed them in their respective places. When she was done, she went out to empty the bin. During none of these moments, she dared to look at Dr Lim. When she came back, Dr Lim had made tea them and pointed at a chair to sit on. 

"I hope you like the tea.", Dr Lim smiled at her. 

"It is nice. Thanks.", Raquel absent-mindedly answered staring at Dr Lim's tea mug which was at the edge of the table, whereas hers was well protected between her palms almost at the center of the table. When Dr Lim prompted her to think out loud, she only shrugged. 

"Okay, Raquel. Tell me about your pre-marital memories with your parents, sister and even boyfriends. Vacations, happy memories, birthdays, sad events."

Talking about her her childhood was the easiest of all. It was the longest period she had been happy in her entire life. So unreally happy that she felt she jinxed it. Her eyes shifted from sparkles, tears, lost and dreamy as she walked down those memory lanes. Dr Lim dragged a long hum at the end of the story making Raquel frown. 

"Sorry, is something wrong ?"

"No, No, Not at all. I am just curious how your all your stories consisted of two groups. You and your father. Then, the second is your mother and your sister."

"Yes, we were very close."

"So, I am not surprised how you stopped being a child as soon as he passed away. You were 19, Am I correct ? And, you just started college ?". Raquel nodded sadly. 

"What happened after that ?"

"Well, I had to step up for the family. Help my sister who was still a child."

"Your mother would have done that!"

"After Papa died, she had to work to provide for us. So Laura was alone."

"You always felt like you had to protect your sister ?". Raquel nodded.

  
"But, did your sister feel protected or restrained ?"

"Wait.. are you suggesting at my sister marrying Alberto was a rebellious act?"

"That is a very big conclusion. It is not my job to share my opinions with you, Raquel. However, if that how you feel ?"

"if she did, it's her fault. Not mine. I do not take responsibility for her stupidity."

Dr Lim kept a blank face and a neutral nod that pissed Raquel off more. 

"As we are talking aboout protection, can you please keep that mug away from the corner ? It could break if it falls down.", she gritted her demands, irritated by Dr Lim's calm behaviour. 

"Does it bother you ?"

"Shouldn't it ? It could break!", she repeated aggressively surprised by her irresponsibility. 

"I don't care. If this breaks, I have a new one. But, you look bothered by it.", Dr Lim pointed out an observation. 

"Why does it feel like you are not talking about the mug!"

"Am I?", she frowned innocently. 

"Oh for god sakes!", she scoffed. Her face flushed with irritation. 

"Fine, I will keep you at peace.", she moved the mug back to the centre of that table and Raquel exhaled in relaxation. 

Dr Lim observed her facial features unclenching and gave her a minute to calm down before the next storm, "Now.. your happiest moments always involved your father being happy for you. Some competition you won, or something he could be proud of", Dr Lim hit her with another critical observation.

"I liked it when he was happy."

"You also liked making your sister and mother happy."

"Okay. I like it when my family is happy. You cannot throw me in jail for that!", Raquel answered defending the implicit accusation. 

"Of course, not. You are an unsung hero! Can you list some things that make you happy that do not involve other people in your life."

Raquel thought for a really long time and finally answered, "I liked my job."

"A job that you left for Sergio ?" 

Raquel's eye widened at her question, "I do not regret it.!"

"Obviously! So, to my question again, can you list things that make you happy ?"

Raquel could only think of cooking feasts that earned wide eyes from her family, making love to Sergio, worth-while parenting moments with Paula. They all involved her family and she realised she has been quiet for too long. 

"There is nothing wrong about not being able to find something. It is perfectly fine.", Dr Lim soothed her when her face grimaced. "Let's move on. I can see that all the happy moments in your story stopped a year before your dad died. What was your relationship like when he passed away ?"

Raquel shot her best sad puppy eyes and looked embarassed by herself. Her eyes begged to not have this conversation, but Dr Lim did not budge. She did not want to break, but there was no choice. She shut her eyes tight thought about the kisses from her father, his loud laugh, their hugs and his proud eyes. It soon was replaced by the painful memory of how she walked the chapel aisle alone on her wedding day and how her loved cheeks endured Alberto's slaps. After a long struggle, her wounded heart was healed by Sergio's love. Tears rolled down as she thought about the two most important men in her life - Her dad and Sergio. Only one of them was alive. She would not be doing justice to them, if she did not go through this therapy properly. Damn, even the therapy she was undergoing was for someone else. But, those people deserved the best of her. After immersing herself in a lot of deep thoughts, she finally opened her eyes to her patient and smiling therapist.

She took a really deep breathe, inflated her lungs as if it was going to be her last time and exhaled, "I killed my father."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, What do you guys think ??? Please tell me , I would love to hear it!! 
> 
> P.S: Apologies for the cliffhanger!!


	7. Usagi

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 1 of therapy ends with some drama, fun and romance!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I cannot believe I would actually be able to write actual therapy sessions. I am learning a lot while I write these chapters. I hope you enjoy reading it too!! 
> 
> Thank you so so muchh for holding on to this story!!
> 
> 20000+ words in this story !! I am so grateful for being the biggest motivation for me to write this story!! Thank you so so much!

  
_“Raquel, please..”, Marvin begged as she continued to pack her bags to leave. “One second, give him a chance to explain.”, she begged between sobs. Raquel turned a deaf ear to her. She continued to pack ignoring her mother who was only trying to avoid family conflicts and did not care about her life. "Raquel.. plea..."_

_"I have given him many weeks, Mamma.", she shook her head while packing._

_"Hija, he is your father. He wants to protect you."_

_"No, Mamma. I don't need his protection now. You saw how he acted. You are only approving it because he is your husband. He is being unreasonable. ", she angrily pointed her fingers at the door._

_"WHO ? WHO is being unreasonable ?", an angry man screamed as she marched into her room._

_"YOU!", she yelled back. Marivi stood between the two raged people altering her glances between each other hoping one of them would cool down. But neither did._

_"You be a parent and you will understand what I am going through. You choose a career that is meant for men! How could I approve that ?", he asked irritably._

_"Who made those rules? Huh ? Tell me ?", she prompted approaching him, but was stopped by her mother. "You know, papa, my entire childhood I have looked up to you. I thought of you as my .... as my.. biggest support.", she began to cry._ _"I spent so many years trying to be a good child.. only to make you proud. But.. But now.. when I actually want to do something for myself, you.. you can't even..", she went back to packing. A few weeks ago Raquel got admitted into the Police academy. She had kept the application a secret to surprise her parents. When she finally got accepted, her father acted outrageously. He certainly was not pleased by his daughters decisions. The argument got very heated up that he refused to pay for it. Fortunately or unfortunately, Raquel got a scholarship and did not have to pay the tuition fees. That only pissed her father off more. According to him, it is a male dominant career and she won't stand a chance._

_"Raquel, mi vida, listen to me. That career is life threatening. Do you have any idea how many people have died while being on the force ? I have many friends who...", he toned it down to explain himself., but she cut him off._

_"You did not have a problem when cousin Mario got into the forces. You drank so much in their party.. So proud of him.. You did not find it life threatening then ?", she questioned her justification._

_"Raquel, it is different. He is not my son."_

_"No Papa. I am not a 'son'. That's your problem."_

_"Raquel, please..", Marivi begged to stop this argument. She was a peace lover and never encouraged conflicts. It broke her heart to see her husband and daughter fight over something that sounded very simple. She could not pick sides as she loved them both, but she prayed for it to end soon as it was becoming unbearable._

_"Fine, It is. You are my daughter. My princess! So, forgive me I don't want you to exert at any point in life. Everything I have is yours Raquel. Please.."_

_"I am nobody's princess. I am a person of my own... with my own choices. I am going to become a badass cop beating the shit out of criminals. I do not plan on carrying babies of some man's, cleaning his house and dress myself for him to come home to me.", she gritted her response._

_"I did not say that. I only meant.."_

_"I know what you meant. You call me your princess, but in reality I am a liability. Something you feel responsible for until you hand me to another man. Like I am some property."_

_"Do not twist my words!", he warned her._

_"I have clearly said this is what I want to become and yet I hear so much resistance from you! And now, you blame me for interpreting your words ?", she exclaimed louder._

_"Why can't you choose another career ? Perhaps a Professor ? Doc..?", he listed safe options, but she did not let him finish. "A professor ? You want me to hide under books like a coward ? I want to face the world like a professional, not sit behind my desk and lecture people!"_

_"Raquel, you have no idea how unhappy you are making us feel.", Marivi begged._

_But, she was beyond her senses, "I don't care, I am going. I am tired of pleasing you ungrateful people."_

_"So, you are calling me a coward?", he asked taking offence in her opinion about his career. "May I remind you that my career is what that fed you and this family all these years !"_

_"I am saying you are playing it safe. And, it works for you. But, not for me!.", she paused and took a breathe, "And, thanks for feeding us Papa. How generous of you",. she mocked him_

_"YOU WILL NOT STEP A FOOT OUTSIDE HIS HOUSE", he ordered._

_"Oh yea! WHO THE HELL ARE YOU TO STOP ME?", she screamed. Her red flushed face only got redder as her father responded to that question with a slap, "YOUR FATHER!"_

_"Pablo!", Marivi scolded him for raising his hands on their grown up daughter. Panic started to arise within her as she knew this fight was definitely going to end bad. She ran to hold her daughter who just flinched and pushed her away._

_"I wish you weren't", she rubbed her cheeks, controlled her tears and said in a low voice. She shut her suitcase and placed her hand luggage on top of it, ready to leave tomorrow._

_"You wish that?", he asked calmly._

_"Yes...Yes I do. After how you have treated me in the past few weeks ? Talking to me like you are the biggest sexist in the world ? I really wish you didn't exist."_

  
_"RAQUEL". It was her mother who reprimanded her behaviour this time. Her father stormed off the room followed by her mother. The next morning, she as planned, left early morning without saying proper goodbyes to anyone except Laura. She did meet her father the very next month. Except, he was motionless in a coffin._

  
"I am the reason why my father is dead.", she sadly confessed. "Heart-attack caused by high blood pressure due to stress.", she pin-pointed at herself when she stated the cause of death. "The only and last time I did something for myself, someone died!", she sobbed. Tears flowing down her eyes moistening her face, pain clenching her stomach tight, she struggled to regain her breathe. Dr Lim offered her some water and tissues, and, allowed her to mourn the loss of her father. 

"Are you alright?", she asked when Raquel's last tears fell out and her face started to relax.

"I have had worse days!", Raquel sniffed.

" It's not your fault... That your father died. I hope you know that.", 

"For a very long time, it felt like it was."

"When did you stop taking responsibility for it ?"

"I don't remember. I grew up. My life brought its own mess and I shifted my focus on what was present."

Dr Lim only nodded and wrote some notes on her notepad. Raquel did not have the energy to ask what was going on in her mind. Neither did she care for it. Her exhaustion was clearly loud, that Dr Lim decided to wrap it up for the day. Their drive back was very casual and non-therapeutic. She shared some memories of her growing up in the city and how she became as a psychiatrist in a place where mental illness is considered a taboo. As she walked through the building to her room, it was almost dinner time and her stomach started growling reminding her of the lunch her panic attack disposed. She quickly changed to her night pants and went to find her new friends on the floor. Clara and Lucia's room were empty, her last stop was Hazel's.

"RAQUEL!", the three women screamed together as she opened Hazel's room. Her face instantly brightened upon seeing them. She found a comfortable spot in the room amongst the other women and joined their conversation about gardening.

"Can we go eat ? I am super hungry.", Raquel massaged her empty stomach and asked after waiting a polite amount of time.

"Absolutely, we were waiting for you as well. Lucia here already smelled the noodles and has been drooling since.", Clara joked. She was afraid they would ask her about the therapy and she did not want to talk about it. Thankfully, none of them did. They argued more about crops on their way to the cafeteria. Lucia was right, the noodles was fabulous. Tossed veggies in a peanut sauce and brown noodles was totally worth going through a stressful therapy. The women continued to chat more about crops and evolution and, had lost track of time. 

_Meanwhile in their floor nurses station,_

_"Hello, It's Nurse Welda. How may I help ?", the floor nurse answered the phone._

_"Hi, This is Sergio. Raquel's husband. Is she around ?"_

_"Oh.. Ummm.. No, I think Raquel is eating dinner with her friends. Is it urgent ? Should I call her ?", the nurse asked._

_"No No. Not at all. Just , please, inform her when she is back. Thank you" , Sergio hung up very relieved that she is not alone or miserable. She was with friends!_

  
The women only stopped chatting when one of them, Hazel, yawned. They had so much to talk about - happy stuff, their life, school, trips etc. For a very long time, none of them even remembered they were in a psychiatric facility to fix their problems. They hardly even remembered their trauma. Raquel could feel her mind relax around these women, her worries eased up and she felt a lot lighter. They slowly began to return back to their rooms as soon as the other three women began to yawn too. They hugged each other and bid adieu for the night. 

"Hi Ms Murillo.", Nurse Welda peeped in to find Raquel smiling to herself, thinking about the fun night she had. "Your husband called."

Oh Shit! He must have been worried about her. "Oh no, when did he ?", she asked blaming herself for not calling him sooner. 

"An hour ago. I told him you were eating with your friends. He did not want you to be disturbed."

Of course her perfect, understanding partner who, the rest of the world assumes is her husband, is genuinely happy for her finding companions here. She rushed to the station to call him back.

"Mi Amor.."

"Raquel, my love? How are you ? How was your day ? I heard you have new friends? Tell me more.. I am so so happy.", he stacked everything he wanted to say without giving her a chance to reply. 

"Sergio. I am fine, honey. Day was okay too. But, I don't want to talk about that. And yes, there are three women who live in rooms next to mine. They are nice and warm.", she chuckled. "Do you miss me?", she asked with her eyebrows raised childishly. 

He laughed imagining her face, "You have no idea, Mi Amor. I miss you so much that it feels like someone took away a half of me."

"Me too.! I really want to hold you. I was scared to go to my therapy today and I really wanted to call you."

"Why didn't you? I could have helped you.". Sergio sat up on his bed giving her all of his attention.

"Well, you had just left and ..... I felt stupid for not being able to keep it together for as low as five hours ", she said sadly. "But, a friend helped and I was okay."

"Raquel, I am really happy you found friends. It is very important to not feel alone.", Sergio said and continued, "But Mi Amor, I am here anytime you want me okay ? I am one phone call away."

  
"I know... Tell me, what's happening at home ?"

Sergio began with some funny moments about him trying to run a house and ended up failing too many times without her guidance. He, also, burnt the curry and it smelled so bad that Paula refused to come back into the house. He had a nice time playing games with Paula, taking Marivi on her walk and eventually drew a countdown board with the dates Raquel would be spending away from them.

"Awww.. My beloved sweethearts. I miss you guys so so much.", she teared up.

" oooh ... Please don't cry. I am being humiliated in front of a 9 year old. Raquel, she is genuinely scared when I enter the kitchen. You can see it in her face." That made them laugh for a while. 

"Sergio. Paula is not a fussy kid. She would eat anything you give her as long as it is on time. She gets very moody when she is hungry. Also, make sure she drinks milk. Now matter how cute she tries to be, don't fall for it.", she instructed him with some tips to deal with the child.

"Understood. Don't worry. She drank her milk today. I had to bribe her with mangoes though". He suddenly remembered, "Don't forget the origamis okay ?"

"Of course not!", she said firmly. She has been curious about it ever since he gave it to her. Half-heartedly they hung up after he showered her with kisses, which she couldn't return as she was surrounded by a lot of people. Sergio wondered how he spent so many years sleeping alone, as it seemed very hard now. Without Raquel clinging on to them, he felt empty. He caressed her side of the bed, even kissed her pillow and smelled her shirt for comfort. The house was so silent with Paula and Marivi already in bed. This was the time they spent together, but now, he was alone. All Alone. He rolled from side-to-side thinking of all their happy moments which only made him miss her more. Raquel opened her bag of Origamis and picked the one that was meant for today. From the outside, it looked like a small rabbit made out of red paper - really cute and tiny. She carefully opened it to read, 

" _By now you already know that the figure is a rabbit, also called a Usagi. Traditionally it symbolises reproduction. But is also represents metaphorical rebirth. The start of something new. Since this being your first day in therapy, I figured this was an apt figure to epitomise the new dimension you are exploring within yourself. Giving yourself a chance to blossom, yet again, into the best spring god has ever made._

_This figure also implies my life. I was reborn the day I met you - the coffee eyed police inspector who was frustrated with her colleagues and was more irritated when her phone ran out of life. Even though everything went downhill, her eyes radiated hope and warmth. I, instantly, knew I was in deep trouble when my eyes met yours. There I stood, a liar, a criminal, a thief, in front of a reputable woman like you. I had years of practice to establish control over my mind, but started to lose it the moment I handed you my phone. You and only you have your way into my heart. Because, you are stronger than most forces in the universe. And I love you!_

_P.S. I, also, think the rabbit suits you because you have bunny teeth!LOL!"_

  
She frowned at his comment and licked her teeth for a second before she was carried away by the rest of his sweetest words. He was the best at romantic gestures, no matter how shy he looked from the outside. But, this was incredibly thoughtful and sweet. She smiled recollecting the day he met him. She was very stressed that she hardly registered his face. Never, she imagined that their first meeting had such an impact on him. Her eyes did not stand a chance. They were cloudy, few drops landed on the paper and her hands were shaky. From being a perfect stranger, Salva, flipping her world upside down as he revealed the Professor and also loving her conditionally as her Sergio; the man who broke her defences and stole her safely guarded heart. She needed to hear his voice again.

"Mi Amor..", she called him again.

"Raquel, is everything okay ?", he asked worriedly.

"I DO NOT HAVE BUNNY TEETH", she pretentiously screamed below her voice. 

He rubbed his eyes laughing at her speaking those exact words between her elongated front teeth, "Yes you do! In fact, one of these days, I want to watch you eat a carrot!"

"Creepy!", she commented, but laughed. "But, there is something else I would love to eat. You know..something that is often related to a banana", she said winked seductively. 

"Raquel, please stop."

"What! I am speaking in Spanish!", she defended herself to her shy man. 

"Yes, but our little inpectora understands Spanish!"

"Joder, Sergio. What is she doing there?"

"She crawled into our bed. She did not want to sleep alone ...as she is worried about ...you.", he explained. She hummed and remained silent for a while thinking about her child and how she left her to worry.

"Raquel, she is fine. She is sleeping well next to me. I will take care of her.!", like he could read her mind, he consoled her guilt-stricken mind. "Plus this is our time to bond. Don't steal it from us!", he joked and she definitely felt better. Him wanting an opportunity to bond with her child from her previous marriage that also brought her to a psychiatric facility felt like an emotional blended soup. 

"Um..Sergio.... You maybe a liar, thief and a criminal, but I wish you could see the man I see in you.....From a woman's point of view....A woman who buried her desire to love to save her heart from breaking further. But you and only you could find a way to my heart and own all of it.", she smiled and thanked him for the thoughtful origami. She already was eager to open her next one tomorrow. "Be patient, inspectora", he mocked her again. "I am an impatient woman, Salva", she joked. Falling asleep wasn't too difficult. She read his origami note many more times and fell asleep holding it, buried under a blanket that smelled like them. She would spend a whole day doing all kinds of mental exercises as long she could look forward to his origami.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No cliffhangers! Hurray!! I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Thank you so so much for reading it !! :D :D Please leave a kudos and a comment about what you think about this one! 
> 
> I promise the next one won't be too long


	8. Our Neko

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Raquel's therapy got harder, but her girls keep her happy. Sergio undoubtedly has the best words to make her smile!. She could endure anything that hits her as long she is surrounded by such people!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so glad to write another chapter in this story. Thank you so much for the comments and constant encouragement. Please accept my virtual gratitude :D :D. I love you all so much !!!

“Hey sleepyhead, wake up!!”, she rocked Hazel’s waist to get the woman to open her eyes.

"No.. Go away!!", Hazel screamed sleepily and hid her face under her pillow. 

"I won't. Today is my first yoga session.. Won't you come with me, pleasshhhhh?", Raquel tried her cute voice. 

"Good for you. Ask the other girls to come with you.", she whispered between yawns.

"They are already coming. They woke me up and asked me to wake you.", she clapped her hands in joy. 

"Raquel, I am at the end of therapy. I have done this for a year, almost. It's your time... enjoy!"

  
"But, Won't you come with me ? We only have a week together and I am going to miss you when you are gone. We should spend the last few days we have, together.", she tried a guilt-trip.

"Yes, we can spend it together in this bed. Come join me. It's warm and cozy. Plus sleeping is yoga too - Savasna, they say!", Hazel explained with eyes closed. Raquel smiled at how this nerdy girl reminded her of Sergio. Her offer to sleep more was tempting and she was considering it until Lucia screamed, "Oh YOU LAZY ASS, wake up before we pour water on your face.!"

  
"Lucia, Hazel says sleeping is yoga too.", Raquel explained as she yawned and tried to join Hazel in bed. Lucia dragged her by her shirt, "You won't join her." Clara and Lucia tickled Hazel's feet and she finally woke up.

"I. hate. you. all", Hazel said brushing her messed up hair. 

"We love you too, Haze.", Raquel blew her a kiss. Clara had got coffee for everyone and the women chatted while Hazel got ready for their yoga class. Their yoga and meditation class combined were around 2 hours in total so they decided to skip breakfast to keep a clean gut for the class. Hazel groaned as she drank her coffee and woke up in a horrible mood. Raquel is not a morning person either, but somehow the two women managed to cheer her up. So, Raquel tried the same with Hazel and it worked! The four women in hot yoga stretch pants walked like a boss to their class. "Raquel, this is going to be a nice and calming class. Nothing to be anxious about, okay ?", Hazel grabbed her arm and whispered before they entered. Raquel couldn't tell what it was, but something about Hazel reminded her of Sergio - the nerdy-ness, the attentive attitude, care or maybe the warmth. As she assured, the yoga class was brilliant. A lot of stretches, twists and bends. Raquel felt her age a couple of times as her knees made squeaky noises, but that did not stop her.The meditation class, however, was very different to what she had in mind. The music was slow and randomly paced higher that made her energy vibrate. The instructor's tone was so soothing that it helped Raquel relax so much that she began to cry. Shakily sobbed, in fact. The instructor slowly approached her and held her hand throughout the rest of the session which she was embarrassing, but was necessary. Even after the class, Raquel remained quiet and she lost control of her tears temporarily. The instructor had advised her to take a nap for a while to recover and informed the nurse to check on her status. And obviously, her friends did not leave her alone. They walked with her until they reached her room, made her bed and help her settle down. One of them kept a glass of water next to her bed and stayed until she fell asleep. She was so drained to explicitly thank them, but they did not expect that from her either. After a couple of hours, she woke up to her stomach growling in hunger. Thankfully, the cup of water helped. She stared at the mirror terrorised by her own swollen face and remembered the meditation class. No way, she was going to eat in the cafeteria looking like this. Like her friends could read her mind, Lucia showed up at the doorstep to check if she was awake. 

"Are you okay ? Do you have a headache ?", she enquired. 

Raquel shook her head and replied hoarsely, "No, Just very hungry."

"We all are too. Clara has no self control. She has been munching biscuits. But, still hungry.", Lucia rolled her eyes. 

"Umm... Maybe you guys go ahead. I just want to eat in my room.", Raquel answered with a sigh massaging her face. 

"No, We thought so. I mean no-one would want to go out looking like that.", she joked about Raquel's messed up face. "Hazel and Clara can bring us food and we can eat in the room together, if you like ?"

"Are you sure ? You don't have to do that for me."

"No, No, We decided this as soon as we came out of that meditation class.", Lucia responded. "I will ask the girls to bring food. You relax."

Raquel exhaled and continued to fix her bed. Smell of freshly made fried rice arrived before the women could bringing a wide smile on her face. "Thank you so much for everything today.", she smiled at them and took her food box. 

"Aye, Aye, Chill Girl.", Clara hushed her and found a spot to start eating. They spoke about everything except the meditation. Lucia, an excellent mimic, imitated Dr Lim's responses and action which made them choke on their food. 

"So, Girls, Hazel is leaving us this Friday. How about we do something as a farewell ?", Lucia asked. Clara nodded and Hazel shyly smiled. 

"Yea, Like a party!", Raquel squealed in joy. 

"Sure, We can get some cake and decorations in the store, I suppose.", Hazel suggested. 

"Haze, That's how kids celebrate their birthday!", Raquel rejected her idea. 

"Yea, Haze, You are an adult. Think like one!", Lucia demanded earning pout from their youngest gang member. 

"We can get some alcohol and cigarettes!", Raquel suggested.

"But, I .. I haven't tried those.", Hazel frowned.

"Wait.. Are you saying you have never??", Lucia asked earning a shrug from the girl.

"How old are you ?", Clara mocked. Raquel quickly shushed them and said, "Well, That's about to change this Thursday night! Haze we gonna get you drunk!", Raquel pumped her hands in excitement. 

"Wait, Where do we buy liquor ?", one of them asked and everyone thought for a second. They could not go out of the facility and the store definitely does not sell alcohol. 

"Umm.. I can ask Sergio to sneak in some stuff..", Raquel's eye sparkled with her new idea. 

"Are you sure he would be okay ?", Hazel asked earning a definite nod from Raquel. "And, I suppose we should do it in my room ?.", Hazel suggested as hers is the only room with no cameras or microphone as she was about to be discharged and the rest agreed to the plan more than happily. Raquel expression slightly grimaced when she noticed that it was time for her therapy and it did not go unnoticed. 

"Raquel ? time for therapy huh?", Clara guessed earning a slight nod from her. 

"Hey, you know it is good for you and for your family, right?", Lucia hugged her tight as the other women held her too. 

"It's just ... just that it reminds of events that I had buried .. a long time ago." Raquel sighed rubbing her eyes hard. 

"Better to process it than have it dumped inside you. Your mind isn't thrash can!", Clara tried to show her a positive side to it. 

  
"Aye Aye! Clar even the advice you give is Dr Lim's words! Stop being her protagonist!", Lucia hit her shoulders. "Listen Raqy, shit has to come out everyday else your stomach will stink. Worse you could die. Your mind is the same way. I don't know who screwed up with you. Because, you look so beautiful, truthful and strong. Anyone who screwed with your deserves a place in hell. But, until then you can't suffer. And, you can't let your cute husband suffer. You both deserve to be happy". Raquel nodded agreed to all that and it really helped her gather courage. She needs to do it, she cannot chicken out because she deserves to be happy. Sergio does, too.

"It was my ex.. ex-husband. The man who ..screwed with me.", she confessed to the woman. 

"Paula's father ?", Hazel asked. She nodded and said, "Paula is my daughter. She is nine." to the other who looked confused by that name. "The cute husband..". she mocked Lucia, " he is my partner. We are not married yet.". She trusted them enough to admit that. 

"All the more reasons to fight. For your child , cute partner and more importantly for YOU!", Lucia added. 

"Would you stop calling her partner cute ?", Clara warned her after she mentioned it for the second time.

"Please!!! You were staring at him ...the whole time... and ran to the balcony to stare longer until he left the building.", Lucia blurted earning a chuckle from Raquel.

"He is cute! God those shoulders! Sorry, Raquel.", Clara groaned. 

"It is fine. Yes, those are my favourite!", Raquel admitted. "He is a bit shy, but I will introduce him to you guys.. the next time he visits.. maybe the day he brings us the liquor..". 

The women offered to walk with her until she reached Dr Lim's office and that was extremely helpful. They took her mind off everything for a while until she was in the car with Dr Lim. 

  
"So, Raquel..How are we today ?", Dr Lim asked to which she awkwardly smiled and nodded resembling a 'Fine'.

"I heard about the meditation class.", Dr Lim informed her writing it down on her notepad. Raquel only rolled her eyes wondering if this woman won't let go of the smallest of emotions escaping her. 

"I am proud of you.", the therapist said earning a frown, but an eye contact from her finally. "The meditation class takes some weeks before people emote. So, I am proud that you are letting it sink.". With that, the therapist lost her interest. 

"Anyways, tell me, Raquel. At what point did you leave your husband ?"

"Wait, Aren't we going to continue where we left ? Last time we spoke about my dad!", she reminded her. According to Raquel, most of her therapy dealt with her talking the whole time. Dr Lim's style was different. She asked a lot of intriguing questions that provoked her thought. Though, she did not like being provoked that way, she reminded herself about why she was doing this. 

"Does it bother you that our therapy isn't sequential ?", Dr Lim asked. Raquel shook her head and explained her curiosity behind her style of things. She continued to answer the question by talking about few occurrences where Alberto got really wild with her sexually and physically. But it was one instance where he got turned on by her bruises and was so proud of himself when he fucked her after he bruised her. She felt sick to her stomach to share a bed with such a sadist and decided to leave. 

"Right! And, what was on your mind during the initial stages of the abuse ? You know the first few times ?"

"Well, at first I thought he must be stressed. I tried finding reasons to excuse his actions. Mainly, because I was still deeply in love with him. He is the father of my child. Paula is very attached to her father. So, I thought I can fix it with my minor behavioural changes from my side.". With that answer, the doctor wrote a long notes on her notepad and shot another question, "Do you believe in destiny, Raquel?"

"Yes, I do. And Why is this relevant ?"

"Raquel, studying character is not the same as a criminal investigation. Not everything needs to be sequential in order to identify a pattern.", she explained and asked, "So, you believe you were destined to meet Sergio ?"

"I absolutely do. I never been connected to a human as much as do with him.", she answered with a lot of confidence. 

  
"What if Alberto was not abusive ? What if he was actually a nice man? if you faith in destiny is correct, you would have met Sergio anyways ?"

With that question, Raquel froze and reached out to the glass of water. After several sips, she answered, "I don't know."

"So, Sergio is not necessarily the love of your life. He was just another right man at the right time ?"

"NO!", she rejected that assumption angrily. "Sergio is different."

"So, could you back to answer my question ?", she probed. 

Raquel thought about it for a really long time and listed various scenarios that would have been better if Alberto had not been abusive. She wouldn't have ended up in therapy to begin with. She would have been an inspector and a mother living a middle-class life. Sergio would have been her fresh air. The Royal Mint would have happened and he would have tried to be close to her to get information. "Based on my instinct, I think I would have left everything for him anyways."

  
"Because he is rich ?"

"What do you think ? I came here for money ? Like I am some whore ?"

"Why, then ? Why in a world where Alberto is a perfect gentleman, you would still choose Sergio ?"

"Because, Sergio is Sergio. We are meant to be. We bring peace to love. No man has never looked at me lovingly or respected me like he does. Even, if Alberto was perfect, he can never be the man Sergio is."

"So, Alberto was never exclusive ?"

"I don't think so. No.", she agreed. 

"Why marry him, then ? Why did your instincts fail you ?"

Raquel was stumbled by the question and was uncertain how to respond to her. She began to dig her nails as if they held all the answers, but she only cut her skin. "I don't know."

"Between the age of 25-30, when everyone were busy with their lives - your mother was helping Laura, Laura was settling in life. You chose Alberto. The man who your instinct did not approve of. Did you feel like people's eyes were away from you and you needed to be under the spotlight ? Catch their attention ?"

"You think I am some sick attention seeker ? Who married an abusive fuck to be in some spotlight ?"

"Do I ?"

"You know for someone who claims to not make judgments, you clearly are a judgmental bitch!", she snapped angrily. 

"Raquel, it wasn't a judgement. It is an observation I made from your answers. I am confident about my observations, do you want to take back any of your answers ?"

"No, My answers are right too."

"Fine. then! So, to my question, did Raquel Murillo wanted to be on a spotlight when her mother shifted her attention to her sister ?"

"Fuck you!", she gritted her teeth infuriated by her supposed observation.

"Keep this question at the back of your mind. Think about it. I am sure you will figure it out. You are a smart woman."

"I need to go! I am done with you."

Dr Lim respected her demands and took her to the facility. In their ride back, Raquel chose to sit at the back seat cursing Sergio and almost turning red. When she was dropped at the facility, she did not thank Dr Lim and rather walked straight to her floor. The way she flung her arms while walking back, holding a tight face and shut her room door behind her worrying her friends. But, she hasn't exactly been open with them about her personal life so they understood it was not their place to intervene. They gave her a good few hours, before they knocked her door. 

"Hey.", she greeted them with a slight smile.

"That Bitch screwed you today, eh!". Lucia asked. 

"Don't call Dr Lim a bitch. She is trying to help us.", Clara defended. 

"Seriously do you get paid for advocating for her or what ?!", Lucia threw an irritated look upsetting Clara too. "Clara, our friend is upset after therapy. We should take her side, not Dr Lim's!", she explained. 

"Sorry, Raquel.", Lucia apologised. 

"Never mind. Yeah, she was mean!...", she nodded, but that was not enough. "And a judgemental bitch!" , she concluded. 

"Yeah. That's my observation about her!", Lucia agreed. 

"OOh guys, it's Thai curry in the cafe today.", Hazel marched in biting a coconut bun in her mouth. 

"Wait, that bun is mine!", Clara recalled. 

"Yea, It is. I was hungry." Hazel continued to take a bite unapologetically. "So, Thai curry. Let's go!", she said with bright eyes and pouted noticing Raquel's face. "What's wrong ?"

"Therapist bitch screwed her today.", Clara explained. 

"Oh me and Clara do this thing, when she pisses us off. To remain calm.", Hazel said brightly gaining a furrow from Raquel. "We stare at her breasts!", the two women said together. 

Raquel, for the first time, laughed so well. "Ignore them, Raquel. They have been horny since we spoke about your partner today!", Lucia rolled her eyes at the women's insensitive solution. 

"That we are!. My fingers don't help. Believe me, I tried. Why aren't there any men in this building ?", Clara complained. 

  
"Because, men are the reason why we are here.", Lucia scoffed. 

"That's true.", Hazel agreed.

"What's true ? You cannot complain. You have an option to keep your juices flowing and you haven't taken it. So you being horny is due to your stupidity."

"Wait! You are seeing someone ? Who ?", Raquel opened her mouth wide in surprise. 

"I am not.", Hazel shook her head. 

"But, it's an open offer, Haze. He is really cute.", Clara tempted her. 

"Guys what's going on ? Who is this man ?", Raquel demanded more answers. "And, why are we talking about Dr Lim's breasts when we could talk about Haze's boy ?"

"There is no boy!", Hazel rejected the claims. 

"The man who works in the facility store likes Hazel. He buys her coffee from time-to-time. He even asked her out. She is just being Hazel.."

  
"SHUT UP!. Raquel, no!", Hazel's face was very serious now and Raquel decided to cut it off before they upset her. 

"Fine, Fine! Let's eat!", Raquel closed her room after the women and walked to the cafe. They gossiped about other nurses on the floor while they enjoyed their Mango Thai curry. Raquel promised the girls that she will ask Sergio to buy liquor for all of them for the party. She, although, was wondering if the women were more happy to see Sergio or the liquor. Either-ways she trusted the women and trusted Sergio more, so it did not bother her. She had one last thing to do before she called Sergio that night - the origami. 

  
She carefully opened it and it read,

_Neko (A cat):_

_I really hope this looks like a cat to you as I haven't made an origami cat before. Japan celebrates cat day on the 22nd of February. The animal itself is believed to represent strong, wise, independent, balanced, mysterious and protective. Basically everything that you are!_

_The day you frisked me at the cafe, when your instinct said something about me was fishy, was the day I admired your intuitiveness. You are an embodiment of independence when you walked out of your marriage, raise your child alone while holding onto a male dominant job. When you fought Serbians who were thrice your size, I worshipped your strength. How you constantly fight to keep Paula, your mother and I safe from everything around the world and sometimes even from ourselves, makes you a freaking warrior queen. Our lives wouldn't be secure if it weren't for you, Raquel, my Neko. You take a lot of hits to keep us sane and we are indebted to you for the rest of our lives. I don't say it often, but here it is. From the bottom of my heart, Thank you so so much. Thank you for everything. I love you, Raquel._

  
Tear filled by that note, she badly wanted to hear his voice. She cursed the distance between the room and the phone and, ran as fast as her feet could. "Mi Amor.", she whispered on the phone swallowing her tears

"Inspector, what are you wearing ?"

It made her giggle like a teenager, allowing her tears to fall and she answered, "My green pyjamas with a yellow shirt."

"Underneath?"

"Nothing!", she said softly and chuckled.

He growled in pleasure. "Where are your hands ?"

"One on the phone and other in my pocket. "

"Inspector, squeeze that ass for me!", he ordered. 

She obliged letting out a silent moan. "What next?"

"Umm.. If you were near me, I would run my hands under your shirt play with your bare skin and try to annoy you by not touching your eager round breasts."

"Then, I would pinch you hard.", she warned with in her best inspector tone but seductively. 

"My pain tolerance would be my greatest advantage as I wont succumb to your punishment. Instead, I would travel between your legs and caress your inner thigh, check if you are wet for me and ignore it.", he said devilishly making her grunt.

"I am."

"What ?", he asked confusedly.

"I am wet for you.. Now!", she whispered which only frustrated them.

"Raquel, I miss you. Your clothes have started to turn me on!", he confessed sniffing her shirt. 

"I know, sweetheart. I am very sorry.", she said apologetically.

"Raquel, please stop apologising. I will hang up if you do one more time.", he threatened her. 

"No No, Sorry... Shit.. Fine.. Don't..", she hastily replied. "I have a plan for you.. for us...Plan Party", she whispered. 

  
"You give plans the most stupidest names.!", he mocked. 

"Not everyone is a geek like you.", she said sarcastically.

"So, what does Plan party entail ?", he asked. 

"Well, Hazel gets discharged this Friday. So, Clara, Lucia and I are throwing her a farewell.", she began the story. He furrowed on hearing those new names, but did not want to break her flow, so he remained silent. "Can you believe the girl has never had alcohol in her life?"

  
"She is your friend and she has never been drunk ? How insulting !", Sergio mocked her in a serious tone.

"Exactly. So, we are breaking her virgin liver with some glorious fluids!", she answered more excitedly. "But, the store here does not sell liquor.", to which he scoffed something resembling 'obviously'. "I need you to buy us smokes and alcohol and sneak it in."

"Raquel, you cannot break the rules in a hospital.", he offered a moral lesson.

"And, you cannot hijack the Mint, but that didn't stop you hypocrite!", she spat. "Besides, all those things you want to do to me, you can if you meet me."

"How ? Your room has a camera.!"

"Oh god. Did you not eat your brain food today ? My bathroom doesn't have a camera, dummy!"

"I will take that deal. And just for that, I will buy all the liquor in the world!", he shamefully fell for her. They wished each other goodnight and quietly stayed on the phone before they hung up for the day, until tomorrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you liked the chapter today!! :D :D. Please drop a Kudos and comment. It would mean so much to me!


	9. Komainu

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some steamy Serquel and more origami stories! :D :D

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sergio is just too sweet <3 .. I am melting!! Happy weekend guys! Thank you taking the time to read this story!! I hope you like this chapter.. 
> 
> All your kudos and comments make my day and I really look forward to read them. Thank you so much from the bottom of my heart!! :D :D :D :D

Waking up that morning was not difficult. He spent the night excited about dawn, rolling on the bed, passing time - it was the longest night he has ever had. He was going to meet her after forty eight hours, the longest they have been apart after their year long most awaited reunion. His eyes looked forward to it, his body even more. When the sun peeped out, he jumped from his mattress, made breakfast and lunch for the family. He did not tell Paula he was going to visit her mother and the girl believed his ‘meeting a friend’ plan. He ensured Marivi’s nurse had taken over her duty before he left the house. First stop was the liquor store, of course. He knew Raquel’s capacity. So, he picked a dozen of beer cans, some Tequila and some mild cigarettes. He, also, packed in a suitcase so that it would look like he was carrying some clothes for his partner, if anyone ever asked. The truth is he is quite popular in the building and no-one would ever question him. The walls of the hospital were so familiar, however, he felt a pinch crawling under his skin when he realised that the love of his life was an in-patient in it - a feeling he could never get used to. Even if he killed Alberto, his heart won’t heal from her wounds. But, there she was, curled away from the sun that was caressing her golden tanned skin. Her face tightly pressed against her arms, her lips twitching occasionally, drooling in between the mellow snore noises; this was art to his eyes. Never has he seen some one define beauty and perfection the way she does. As he stood outside her door admiring her, a couple of nurses smiled at him recognising his face in the building. He took the liberty to enter her room, carefully placed the suitcase on one corner and walked closer to her. Her wrist was draped by her mother’s bracelet and his watch and, her palm enclosed one of the origamis, which he assumed was yesterday’s. There was enough space for him to join her, who has not realised his presence in the room. He slowly rested next to her, she finally flinched and moved closer to fit in his arms. He was sure that she must think they are home judging by her lack of surprise to the sequence of events. She hummed, evacuated the space between them and rested her face in his chest. Her breathing shifted immediately as she opened her eyes jerked by the reality. 

“SERGIO", her eyes sparked and her voice squealed like a little girl.

"Hola, Mi Amor.", he said softly pressing a lot of kisses on her face and caressed her warm cheeks. She received all the love, hid her face in his neck and complained hoarsely, "You never told me you are coming."

"You never asked!", he laughed but soon screamed as she bit his neck.

"I thought you would come a bit later!", she yawned words into his neck with her eyes closed.

"I wanted it to be a surprise!", he whispered in his ears, playing with her hair. She hummed and stayed in his embrace for a while and sighed, "I missed you!"

"Life doesn't feel normal without you, my love.", he said sincerely making her open her eyes to look at his sad eyes.

"12 more days.", she promised and he repeated, "12 more days.".

She slowly got up from the bed to use the bathroom and he followed her just to be close to her. He held her tight as she brushed and washed her face, "Sergio, I need to poop. And, I would rather not have you watch me!". He nodded and left her in peace. 

"How is the rest of the family ?", she asked as she walked out of the bathroom.

"Well, Paula and I talk a lot about you. She has interesting memories of you in Madrid that she shares with me. She misses you, but understands...", he began to update his boss about how he keeps the ceiling up in her absence.

"You are bribing her, aren't you ?"

"Three chapters of stories and a late bed time.!", he confessed earning a false stare from her. "Your mom.. well, her memory has not been hers since you left.", he said apologetically.

"That's good!", she said and he frowned. "Well, at least she wouldn't be worrying about me. She is in her own world.", she explained as he nodded apprehensively. 

"And... How is my man ?", she asked softly as she sat on his laps and played with his beard. 

"Well..", he adjusted his glasses. "Your man spent the last two days wondering why I didn't rob the Mint sooner.". She furrowed and her hands paused. "That way I wouldn't have spent half my adulthood alone in my cold bed... or worse with Andres!"

She laughed warmly and brushed his lips waiting for him to take hers. A slow kiss turned deep and passionate until they broke to catch their breathe and he asked, "How is mi mujer ?"

Her face crimsoned by his reference and she lowered her eyes to allow gravity to take control of her tears. "I am okay.. Well, considering where I am... I have friends here.. That makes it better.."

"That's good, my love.", he wiped her tears but felt his eyes moistened too. Why her ?, he wondered. Why such trauma to this warm, kind butterfly of his ? He would carry all the trauma on him, if he could. "The therapy ?", he asked hesitantly.

"... Fine, I guess..", she answered avoiding his eyes. He knew she was dodging the question and probably lying too. He did not want to overstep his boundaries but said assuringly, "You know you can talk to me right ? I am here ! Always, mi amor. "

Her tears surrendered to his warmth and support. She hid her face in his neck and continued to cry. All the tears and feelings she had ignored by distracting herself hanging with her friends demanded freedom. 

"Let it out, my love..", he whispered and held the back of her head. She pulled away to look at him and wiped her swollen face and muffled, "I don't know where my therapy is going."

He hummed to allow her to speak. "She digs out a lot of buried memories.", she sniffed as more tears fell. "My friends say it is a good thing from their experience."

"Your friends do they have the same experience as yours ?", he questioned. She nodded, "Yes, they have all been assaulted in some way or the other." 

"Then, maybe you can trust them when they say it's good for you."

"Sergio, you don't understand.", she shook her head helplessly. "I am not questioning the outcome. But, the process is too painful. We still haven't spoken about the actual abuse ... and I am exhausted already. I don't deserve this.. I am in love with you... I am happy... Why can't my mind just flush itself and focus on the future ?"

"Unfortunately, that is one disadvantage of having a memory, my love.", he answered her calmly. She nodded accepting his response, "Anyways, I hope it would be over soon."

"It will be. And, I will be there through all of it.", he promised

"I don't deserve you!"

"Funny, I feel that I don't deserve you too!", he chuckled and held her even closer. 

"The origami is really helpful, by the way. It really helps me get through the day."

"I am glad it does!"

"Wait, did you sneak in the procurement ?", she asked referring to their party supplies.

"Inspectora, never question the skills of a man who successfully hijacked the Royal Mint.!", he whispered seductively in her ears. With that, her lips met his and remained belonged to him for the next couple of second. 

"Raqu... OH!", Clara opened the door and shut her eyes with her palm. Sergio shuddered and pushed Raquel away while she tightly controlled her laugh at his reddened face. 

"It's alright. Come in!", she invited her friend. 

"I am really... sorry. I wanted to ... umm... check if you were ready for breakfast!", she stammered avoiding Sergio's eyes. 

"Clara, it's really okay. Call the others too. You guys should officially meet Mr Perfect shoulders.", she mocked making Clara embarrassed and Sergio even more. Clara escaped to get the others and they all showed up in no time. "Women, meet Sergio, my husband.", she proudly presented like he was some candy. He sheepishly hid behind her and only nodded at the women. She, then, introduced him to each of them and eyed him to shake hands. "Girls, that suitcase has every thing we need.", she winked and they understood. Hazel immediately said, "I will move it to my room." and acted. 

"Mi Amor, would you join us for breakfast ?". Three women and Raquel around Sergio was not his idea of comfort, but he wanted to be a supportive partner especially after she called him 'my husband'. The three women walked to the cafe aside Raquel who just held hands with Sergio unwilling to let go. For a man living in hiding, he knew a lot of people in this facility. The cafeteria staff recognised him and had a friendly chat making Raquel smile proudly. One of them even thanked him for some personal favour he offered making Raquel even prouder. Her shy criminal with a golden heart, she thought. The three women interacted well with Sergio and he was less shy around them. It broke his heart to realise that he has now met three more women who have been affected by their partners in some way or the other. His hand protectively held Raquel involuntarily and it was not new to her. Every time Sergio smiled, Lucia looked like she was going to orgasm and Clara just made a funny noise making Raquel silently chuckle. Sergio just presumed that's how women were around every man. Hazel, however, finally met someone with whom she could talk about her education. She was aspiring to become a professor. That was his popular zone. They spoke about her research, Sergio offered some suggestions that made Hazel awestruck. She would occasionally pass flattering comments like _'Oh you are so intelligent.', 'You know so much', 'You are an inspiration_ ', but he always held a neutral face incapable of receiving any compliments. At the end of breakfast, they even exchanged their phone numbers, making Raquel and the other women roll their eyes. Two geeks of the world got together, they teased. 

It was time for their meditation class, but Raquel did not want to leave Sergio. Thankfully a nurse informed, 'Raquel, the meditation instructor advised you to skip class today to recover from yesterday.' Although Raquel was very happy to hear that, Sergio felt worry rooting in his mind. 

"Raquel, what recovery ?", he hurriedly asked as soon she the nurse left the room.

"Mi Amor, I am fine. I had a breakdown while I was meditating.... Cried for a really long time.. But I am fine now..". He heard his words, but that wasn't enough. He grabbed her close to him to feel her and relax his troubled mind. 

The other women exchanged goodbyes with Sergio and explicitly hoped to meet him again. "I am making a short trip to the bathroom." ,Raquel whispered seductively and he followed her eagerly. They couldn't wait till they shut the bathroom door. They rushed to feel thei skin, stripping them off all the fabric between them. Sergio picked Raquel by her sleek waist and attacked her lips greedily. He entered her lips with his tongue and she offered hers in return and pushed boundaries of their lungs. Her hardened nipples awaited to be pinched and sucked and, he gladly took them. He knew Raquel has always been a bit insecure about her lop-sided breasts, which were perfect before Paula was born. Apparently, baby Paula preferred her right breasts to her left. It was cute until she realised that her breasts were now asymmetric. To Sergio, it looked natural and unique. Every time Sergio went to her chest region, Raquel's hands would push her right breasts up to make them reach him. And, he would move her hands away and was willing to lower his face to meet her other nipple. While he worked her sloppy breasts, he could feel her wet folds moisten his lower abdomen. She let out a gasp as he entered her with his finger from the behind while his lips thoroughly sucked her nipples. He placed her on the rim of the bath tube and dragged his face to the glory in between her legs. He entered her with two more fingers stretching her limits and she gladly spread wider for him. Her back arched and her fingers clenched his hair as he penetrated her while kissing her spot. "Sergio, please..", she asked him to go harder and he obliged. After many fast thrusts, he felt his fingers soaked by her flowing juices and he quickly hurried to support her back while she recovered. 

"Oh god.", she gasped and shut her legs tight as she regained her consciousness. "You have got some magic fingers, my love.", she said in between her laboured breathes. She began to kiss him when she was ready. His hot shoulder that everyone seemed to love was hers. Hers completely. She bit them marking her property and he chuckled in understanding. Time to time he had bite marks from his ferocious women, when she felt to need to acquire him. His hardened manhood was ready to be taken by her and she took all of it in her mouth. While her mouth and hands worked their game making his cry in pleasure, he held her hair and watched her lovingly. This woman naked and on her knees shaking his body with pleasure was too big for his heart. She, suddenly, stopped and gave him a threatening look. 

"Sergio, do you see my mouth around your delicacy ?", she asked and he nodded. "Do you also know what else is in there ?", she asked and he shook his head confused by her question. But he suddenly realised and swallowed the terror that built in his throat with wide eyes. "Yes, My teeth.", she answered. "The next time you exchange phone numbers with another woman without my permission, you think about how I could use them. is that clear?", she warned him and he nodded as fast as he could. She nodded back and continued where she left. It was until his pleasure hit the roof, he asked her to stop and entered her with all of his masculinity. "I am yours!", he promised with every thrust and she responded with many moans, until their juices collided together. He held her until she recovered, covered her with a lot of kisses and they stayed on the bathroom floor for a really long time. 

"Do you have therapy today ?", he asked a mood spoiling questions. 

"My therapy just entered me !", she joked. "But yes, I do after lunch." It was almost time and they showered and got ready for the day. Lunch was relatively quiet and her friends let her have some private time. She ate with her eyes lowered unwilling to let him go and he continued to massage her hand feeling the same. It was about time for him to leave and she clung to him like a child.

"I will be back, my love. I promise.", he whispered while they were at the exit of the facility. She was too quiet and childishly angry at everything that she teared up. "I love you, Raquel, look at me..". She didn't. "Raquel..", he lifted her face, but she kept her eyes away from him. "I am one phone call away. You call me, I will be here.", he promised wiping the tears that fell from her eyes. "Mi Amor, it is very important for you to feel better. For all of us. You are the strongest woman I know. Plus, you have the origamis!". She nodded and took deep breathes to inhale his scent before releasing him. Her friends joined her to say goodbye. Lucia said, "Don't worry. She will be fine. We will be with her.". Sergio couldn't be more grateful. 

"Do you want to go in first ?", he asked wondering if it would be too hard for her to watch him go. She nodded and held her Lucia's hands and turned her back to him. Her neck turned around to continue looking at him as she went into the building. He held a warm and brave smile as he watched her leave. The women mocked each other to cheer Raquel up and it worked as it always does. She was happy in no time and was ready for therapy. Her mind was mostly relaxed after the mind-blowing orgasms she had in the morning. Dr Lim took her to the same apartment as they always do. 

"First of all, I would like to say sorry. For my outburst last time..", she apologised. 

"Oh, don't be silly. I am glad you feel safe around me to explode!.", Dr Lim assured gaining a faint smile. "At least you did not throw a plate at me!", she said earning a surprised look and a chuckle. "Yea, It happened! Thankfully it didn't hurt me "

"You probably deserved it.", Raquel joked and the two women laughed.

"I did! I have developed perfect dodging skills trying to save myself from tea mugs, plates and other objects! Well, my job is to pose questions that people wouldn't dare to ask themselves. So..", she explained.

"They wouldn't dare to ? Or they would never imagine to ?", Raquel sought clarification.

"Oh Raquel I am certain that people are capable of asking themselves these questions. They wouldn't dare to because it would cause them to face a rage which they fear to confront. They fear breakdowns! You get it ?". Raquel nodded. Maybe she was right. 

"What do we talk about today ?", Raquel asked.

"Do you have anything in mind ?", Dr Lim enquired.

"No. But, I ... I was wondering when would we actually talk... ummm.. talk about the .. abuse ?", she asked the one question that has been haunting her for a long time.

"Oh. We almost would rarely get into the details of that.", Dr Lim waved her hands and Raquel furrowed her brows in disbelief. "Raquel, abuse is the same in every case. Someone intimate or anonymous forced themselves on a woman causing physical and mental trauma. It is always the same story. My job is to find the details around it to help you make peace with it."

"Peace ? How do you make peace with rape ?", Raquel questioned. 

"You can't change your past. You might as well accept it, no ? You... You could focus on feeling less of a victim and more like a soldier with scars ? Like a warrior queen ?"

Raquel wanted to feel like it, but wasn't sure how. "I want to..I know I didn't no any mistake to deserve it. I have been very angry that it was unfair. I don't want feel like that , anymore..", she admitted. 

"Maybe that too!", Dr Lim said supportively. "Work hard on your therapy and you will get there. I will help you. I promise.", she assured. Raquel nodded gratefully. "Meanwhile, i would be happy to take any plates you throw at me!", she joked. "Raquel, it is important for you to feel safe around me, Sergio and your family. It is essential that you don't feel threatened around us... That we would never harm you intentionally.. and you should feel free to express yourself both positive and negative emotions without feeling scared." Raquel agreed with her silently. 

"With that said, I have a suggestion for today ? Let's see where it takes us." Dr Lim sighed and proposed making Raquel eager. "Let's talk about how you processed your father's death."

"Well, I processed it like any child would. I really cried my hearts out for a two months. It never stoped hurting me, but I learnt to live with that pain."

"You said your actions might have caused your father's demise, right ?". Raquel nodded sadly. "Did you ever talk to your mother about it ?"

"No, I didn't. I was a college going adult, so I grieved privately."

"Not the grief, but to find comfort in my mother's words ? She could probably tell you that your theory wasn't true ? She could remind you of times when your dad was happy and proud of you even when you went against his will ? Did you ever ask her how his life was after you left ?"

Raquel shook her head. 

"What did you think of yourself after his demise ? Umm.. how did you judge the person in you ? "

"I felt miserable. like a reckless endangerment. Like I should have died instead of him.". There has not been a day that passed without blaming herself for all of it. She revealed how she privately went to his grave and apologised a million times, but that was never enough. She, also, confessed how she used all her part-time job earnings on drinks and drugs to get over that guilt and agony; every unhealthy coping mechanism she practiced to cope up with the loss. 

"I would like to go back to my question. Why did you not want to talk about it to your mother ?"

"I mean... she just lost her husband, I did not want to add up the burden."

"Is that the only reason ?", Dr Lim pushed gently. 

"I.. I also know she would say things to make me feel better."

"Perhaps the truth ?", Dr Lim probed. "The truth that would make it less painful for you ?"

"Maybe. Or she would only say nice things to make me feel better.", Raquel answered softly playing with her bracelet. 

"You would never know because you did not try. Was the pain comfortable ?"

Raquel looked up. "Could be."

"Raquel, in one of these days, I would like you to confront your mother about it", Dr Lim made another proposal.

"She has Alzheimer's.", Raquel found a reason to avoid it. 

"Well, she would have lucid days. We will see.", Dr Lim said and moved on to more of her childhood. The therapist was also happy that Raquel is slowly opening up about her true feelings and wondered what changed today. The woman who was usually composed and sealed with her answers was now speaking from her heart and beginning to accept the medicine the therapy was offering her. She, also, openly assassinated her character in front of her doctor to reveal how she felt after her father's demise. They continued to explore more in that direction and Dr Lim took more notes today. 

When they were almost done, "I have homework for you.", she informed.

"Homework ?", Raquel stretched lazily.

"Yes. And you need to be honest.", she instructed. "I need you to write your likes and dislikes about the three significant men in your life - Your father, Alberto and Sergio."

***

Although, the question was occupied her head throughout dinner, she continued to have a decent conversation with her friends. They planned their party that was due tomorrow, but she was, also, not ready to say goodbye to her new friend - Hazel. She spoke to Sergio about the rest of his day. He explained how he broke the microwave, causing another fire in the kitchen and almost electrocuted himself. They laughed when he mentioned how Paula was scared for her life and hid in her room. He had to bring dinner to her room as the little girl refused to come out. He had a lot to say after an eventful evening and she listened happily. It is very rare he spoke so much, so she might as well embrace this opportunity. 

_"Komainu"_

_A animal that is viewed as a lion or a lion-dog, based on the culture, are worshipped as guardian angels that represent protection, power and strength - Your core qualities._

_The day in 'The Hanoi', you opened up about your deepest and darkest background to a total stranger, me. At first, I felt honoured that you trusted me, but I also wanted you to stop. Because, I wasn't sure if I could stop myself from killing that man who hurt you, if I knew any further. That's when I knew, I had not only fallen for your kind eyes, but also, felt protective. With all of my heart, I offered to be your bodyguard with glasses. I meant it sincerely and have been protective towards you since then. I will continue to be until I die._

_Oddly, after living with you, I realised you didn't need to be shielded. If anything, you have protected me, multiple times. You told me that you, with a gun, did not know how to take care of yourself. But, I believe it is far from the truth. You are a self-sufficient woman and do not need a man to protect you. You, being kind-hearted ,could not hurt a person you love even if it was to defend yourself. That reveals how fantastic you are as a human being, as a woman. That is strength, Raquel, not weakness. Thank you for being my bodyguard, my queen, our lioness. I love you beyond my abilities!._

His queen smiled as she closed her eyes to greet the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It is part time next chapter, I promise :D :D 
> 
> Thank you so so much for all the support and staying with me so far!! :D : D


	10. Tanuki

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Haze's farewell party! Raquel and the women go wild and Sergio gets called! :

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope everyone is well :D Thank you so so much for travelling with me through all these chapters! It is an honour and my pleasure to write for such wonderful readers , I hope I continue to live up to your expectations!! 
> 
> Hope you guys enjoy this chapter!!

“Mr. Marquina, We have a problem at the facility.”, a nurse called him at 6AM sounding extremely annoyed. She rambled for ten minutes about Raquel’s unruly behaviour at the facility, while Sergio only blinked trying to understand the situation. The list of damages that Raquel and her friends caused after their party seemed like a never ending list. “Whatever it is, I will pay for it!”, he surrendered between yawns and stretches. 

“Of course you will! I don’t think I EVER gave you that option.”, the angry nurse snapped taking Sergio by surprise. He rubbed his eyes in disbelief and started to lose his patience to the woman's tone. “People come here with serious mental illness and your wife is plain disrespectful.”

“Mental Illness doesn’t mean she has to sit and cry in a corner all the time!”, Sergio reminded her calmly. 

“Of course not! But Drinking? Smoking ? Partying? Damaging property is a total violation. I will not tolerate such atrocities. I am reporting this to Dr Lim as soon as she arrives.”, the nurse warned. 

“You do that. I will speak to Dr Lim.”, Sergio agreed finally fully awake and inflamed. "My wife only damaged the property that I own! You will no way treat her badly for whatever she did. As I said, I will speak to Dr Lim and get it fixed. Meanwhile, if you utter one word to my wife about this, it would be your last day at the facility.", he threatened her in his serious cold Professor tone. In no world would he allow this woman to ambush Raquel with her judgemental tone. Yes, she might have gone overboard, but she was finally free from the jail she had been pushed in. Sergio understood the impulse when she let go of all the restrains. He, also, felt strangely relaxed by the fact that Raquel was not afraid of him when she let herself enjoy. He doesn't intimidate her and that's is all he wanted. He was certainly not going to let this nurse ruin it for them. Anything for the love of his life.. 

"Are you threatening me, Mr Marquina ?", she asked arrogantly.

"You take it however you want. But, if you speak one word to my wife or her friends about last night, you will have to look for new jobs!", he hung up on her and got ready to visit the facility. 

***

  
_**Previous Day, at the facility.** _

"Raquel, finish your therapy soon. Tell that woman what she needs to hear! I can't wait to blow our minds with these bottles.", Lucia said pointing at their stock. They were so excited about their party and the girls had re-organised Hazel's room for the evening. Every minute of Raquel's therapy was painful to them as it was for her.

  
"Or pretend to have an anxiety attack! Always works!", Hazel winked. 

"Oye! Raquel, don't listen to them. Please take your therapy seriously!", Clara advised. 

"Ah, here comes Dr Lim's brand ambassador!", Lucia muttered rolling her eyes making everyone chuckle. 

Raquel carried a small paper that had answers to Dr Lim's previous assignment. They walked into the apartment and made their tea as it had become their pre-therapy ritual. All of this became a part of Raquel's natural way of life. The apartment was not new anymore, Dr Lim was certainly more and more familiar. "So, Raquel!", Dr Lim clapped her hands greeting her to therapy. "We spoke about men in your personal life. How about the men at workplace ?". Raquel wanted to say that most of them were male chauvinistic bastards, but played it politely. She spoke about how she was the only lady in her station at some point. Twenty years ago, there were very few women who were detectives and eventually the number rose. But, families were still reluctant to support a woman to join the force. She revealed how the men used to bet on going on a date with Raquel Murillo, comment behind her back, doubt her abilities and lacked respect for her decisions. She eventually learnt to hold a strict face and establish control in her work environment, but it took her several years. Married to a person like Alberto, who made her doubt herself, it was even more harder for her to progress in her workplace, but she managed to become a top ranked officer in a short-while. Dr Lim sympathised with her, upon hearing the battles she fought as a woman. 

  
"Can we talk about the homework I gave you ?", the therapist asked. Raquel pulled a neatly folded paper from her pocket and handed it to Dr Lim. 

In it, she had written, 

_Papa - patient, quiet, loving, protective, kind, but old-fashioned, introverted and adamant._

_Alberto - intelligent, best at his job, quick-learner, father of my child, control-freak, harmfully possessive, short-tempered and violent._

_Sergio - intelligent, well-read, patient, shy, gentle, tender-hearted but unsociable and uptight._

  
"I am sorry, I did not have any nice things to say about my ex-husband.", she admitted as Dr Lim scanned her sheet.

"Well, you have appreciated his professional abilities!", Dr Lim chuckled. "But, I don't expect you to find anything nice about the man who abused you. It is not a fair ask.". Raquel nodded slowly and the therapist continued, "Raquel, the point of therapy is to not forgive that man. It is about forgiving yourself for letting it happen. You need to stop blaming yourself!"

"It was my choice to marry him.", she sadly began to dig her nails with heavy regrets. 

"I am sure it was. And, you had your own reasons to do it! We need to revisit those reasons, understand them deeply, in order for you to forgive yourself.", Dr Lim explained. "You know what, you are doing so well. You are an intelligent hard-working woman and it makes my job very easy.", she sighed making Raquel smile slightly. She has been working very hard to open her mind. It is not easy to travel down her memory lane, but she did it for the final prize - a nightmare free life. 

"You know when I wrote the list, I noticed the similarities between my dad and Sergio.", Raquel began curiously.

"This is why I said you are an intelligent lady...", Dr Lim commented and explained, "because, I was about to ask you the same."

"Umm..Do you know why ? ", Raquel asked her. "I mean, many years later I found a guy who is like my father!"

  
"You chose the man. You tell me why.", Dr Lim pushed her for answers.

"You know Sergio and I.. We did not start off on the right note. Despite everything that happened between us... I mean.. he even choked me once.. ",she laughed but Dr Lim looked very concerned. "Despite all that, he is still the best partner I could ask for. Him, being someone who enjoys being lonely, shifted his world upside down to accommodate not just me, but also my mother and my daughter."

"You must be really worth it!", Dr Lim exclaimed.

"I don't know about that..", Raquel scoffed rolling her eyes.

"Men, like Sergio, are usually very stubborn about their lifestyle. You had to be the most beautiful storm he had ever seen, if he allowed you to shake his life.."

"And, it happened so naturally..I always felt like we were meant to be together. I understand him.. I can never be mad at him for too long.", she dreamily babbled and Dr Lim listened patiently taking notes. "You know.. even during my worst days with Sergio, I could find ten good things about him. And, even on my best days with Alberto, I could list only two!", she confessed. "I was not ready to open my heart to love. But, Sergio pushed my boundaries, disturbed my balanced life, risked everything for me.. and I don't regret it."

"Regret what ?"

"Moving my life.. From Europe to Asia. Because, he is worth it. We are worth it."

"So, you deserve him ?"

"We deserve each other after what we have been through. We understand each other through our eyes and not via words! It is a special connection that makes my heart want to beat only to be around him longer.", she answered dreamily with tears in her eyes. 

"But, he hurt you ? You said he choked you!", Dr Lim pointed out.

"Yea, but that was for professional reasons."

"Did you confront him about it ?"

Raquel slowly nodded and said, "When I first moved to Palawan, in his sleep, his hands were around my throat and I panicked.". Dr Lim took more notes and nodded signalling her to proceed. "I told him that it was terrifying for me. He explained how he choked me, what happened before and after. We both agreed it was a professional necessity at that time...", she answered. "He even covered me with a blanket and waited till I woke up!", she laughed at the memory. 

"Raquel, do you think that incident makes you feel unsafe around Sergio ?"

"Not at all! We spoke about it. He gave me space to process it. We even slept in different rooms for a week until I felt comfortable around him. He was very supportive and patient until I could trust him again.", she denied Dr Lim's observation and explained. "The problems I have with Sergio are intimacy related and they arise from my own head. I know for sure that he would never harm me - physically, mentally or sexually."

"I am glad we narrowed down the problem."

"I thought you already knew that ?", Raquel frowned.

"Raquel, I only know what is being communicated to me. After all these days, this is the first time you have come in terms with your problem.", Dr Lim answered. "And, your father ?"

  
"Papa is the only man who has never hurt me.", she lowered her eyes imagining her childhood hero. "In fact, I hurt him." 

"But, he hurt you during that fight."

"We had an argument. We both were hurt."

"You were still hurt. So, he hurt you."

"Please don't tarnish the memory of my father when he is not around to defend himself."

"Raquel, this is not about your father. This is about you. And, hurting someone isn't a bad thing. Humans argue, exchange words that hurt. It's a natural consequence of an interaction."

"Maybe yes. He hurt me. I don't like to admit it, but he did. When he did not support my career choices, I was disappointed."

  
"So, even your dad has hurt you at some point."

"Yes, But, you just said it is not a bad thing... Something about consequences..."

"Yes, so, is it safe to say, that everyone who you met in life has hurt you at some point ?"

Raquel hesitantly nodded. 

"And, it is not always your fault ?"

"Yeah, that sounds settling."

Dr Lim wanted to plant the thought of Raquel not feeling responsible for her father's demise and ended the session on that note. She was confident that this would run at the back of Raquel's mind to help her ease from the over-bearing guilt she has been carrying. 

  
"Ah, Thank god you are here!", Lucia invited Raquel into her own room.

"Umm, What are you guys doing here ?", Raquel frowned noticing Clara and Lucia sitting comfortably in her room.

"We thought you were here. Also, you need to talk to Hazel!", one of them answered. 

"What ? Why ?", Raquel frowned more worrying about their youngest companion. 

"Our computer is broken, Raquel. She won't come out of her room! We tried. Maybe you could get past her ?", Clara suggested. 

"Yea, since you already live with a geek, this should be familiar to you.", Lucia added. 

"Sergio is not a geek.", Raquel defended gaining eyebrow raises from both the women at once. "Fine, He is.". Raquel left the women alone to find Hazel.

  
"Haze, open the door, love!", Raquel knocked. 

"Go Away!", the girl said from the other end. 

"Nah!. I will come in, even if you don't allow me.", Raquel warned. After a couple of seconds of silence, Raquel barged in spotting at Hazel in her balcony staring into space. "What's going on ?" . Haze shook her head and continued to stare at the clouds. "I am going to sit here, until you are ready to talk."

"I don't want you all to make fun of me.", Hazel mumbled. 

"We won't! That's a promise!"

"Armand.. umm.. asked me out."

"Who ?"

"The boy who works in the store.."

"AAh..", Raquel smiled widely. 

"He has been asking me since last year. I avoided it saying I am under therapy. But, now I have no more reasons left! He.. He knows that I am going out tomorrow and he wants to date....."

"You don't want to. ?", Raquel asked and Hazel remained silent. "You want to ?!! ". Hazel lowered her eyes and nodded doubtfully. "You should accept his invite then!"

"What if I am not ready ?", Haze began to cry sounding like a scared little girl. 

"Honey, you will never know until you try.", Raquel said with a tone that she uses on Paula when she is scared.

"Raquel, I have .. I have never .. never been with anyone.. after that bastard!", Hazel admitted referring to her traumatising relationship with ex-partner. 

"Haze, I am going to tell you something, but you should promise to keep it between us okay ?". Haze swore silently. "I am here because of my ex-husband.. Paula's father. I was married to him for eight years.". Hazel's eyes widened. "He started by controlling me over the smallest of things, like clothes, social life, photos. Eventually, he started to beat me and convinced me that it was my fault and he was the victim in our marriage. Because, he is stuck with someone like me. Every time, his punches hurt, I thought about my child needing a complete family and tolerated it. As years passed, I fully believed that it was all my fault.. that my behaviour disappointed a perfect man. I fell for all the emotional manipulation." 

  
"Raquel.. I am..", Hazel held her friend tight as she confessed her darkest secrets. 

"But one day.. one day.. after he was done beating me, he pushed me in bed.. pulled my pants down and he forced himself on me..", Raquel exasperated wiping her tears looking away from Hazel. "He was so happy and proud of my tears and begging cries..."

"Asshole.", Hazel gritted in anger. 

"And, it did not stop. It was his new found pleasure, so he continued to do it, until the day, I looked in the mirror and did not recognise myself anymore. I fled and filed for a divorce. He had a restraining order. But, he found other ways to screw me over."

"Raquel, he cannot come near you."

"I know. But, then Sergio came into my life like sea breeze. So warm, sweet, salty and fresh. My mother pushed me to go out with him. Long story short, he is the love of my life. "

"Can I ask why are you here ?"

"Because, my ex-husband still has control of my mind.", Raquel answered and Hazel frowned in confusion. "You see, the therapists I saw previously only gave me tablets for depression. Nobody dealt with the trauma. Recently, when Sergio and I were making love.. and I had a PTSD episode. It felt like I was in bed with ex-husband. Poor Sergio had to witness it all."

  
"Raquel, Dr Lim will help you I promise. Look at me, she fixed me!", Hazel assured. 

"Haze, all I am trying to tell you is, when a good man, who knows about your history, your baggage, has been waiting patiently for you to come around, you consider it. You owe it to yourself to try!", Raquel said with a starry smile partially thinking about how Sergio waited for her arrival in Palawan.

Haze nodded and exhaled, "You are right. I should try."

"What is he like ? Have you spoken to him ?"

"He is super fun. Very opposite to me. Not geeky, studious or serious. "

"Ah , like Sergio and I. Sergio is the studious one and I am the fun one! It is a good combo.. trust me!", she said confidently from her experience.

"I see you and Sergio and, I .. I want that. I just don't know how!"

"It's simple. You stop listening to your brain and follow your heart even if it sounds foolish, you trust your heart!", Raquel shrugged.

"Yeah. Okay..", Haze thought for a minute and said, "Maybe I should go tell him okay ? He asked me out for lunch tomorrow!"

"Of course. Do you want me to walk with you till the store ?"

Hazel agreed and they both walked together to the store. Armand looked like a nice and kind man, who shot Hazel a very warm glowy smile when she arrived. Raquel stood outside the store, while they spoke. He squealed in joy and jumped when he heard Hazel agree to date him. 

"So, I guess I have a date tomorrow!", Haze winked nervously at Raquel as she walked out of the store. 

"You do, love. And, he seems very nice!", Raquel approved of him making Hazel smile shyly. "Haze, wait a minute. I need to buy something from my store!". Raquel walked into the store and took Armand to an aisle that Haze couldn't see. "Listen, Armand. Haze is a very special friend. And, I am a trained in martial arts. If you mess anything with her, you would have to deal with me! Is that clear ?", Raquel warned him politely. The man swallowed seemingly intimidated, despite her tiny figure, "No, Ma'am. I really like her. I mean well. It's a promise!"

"Well, then. Now, show me where can I get some onions, tomatoes and chicken", she asked strictly. The man nodded and ran out of her sight to get all the items she wanted. 

  
"Is everything okay ?", Haze asked when Raquel came out of the store. "Everything is fine. I just got some groceries to make you all a Spanish meal tonight!", she smiled and could tell Haze was already dreaming about food. "Haze, carry these to your room and get the other women ready. I will join you guys in 15 mins. I just need to do something personal.", Raquel handed the groceries to Haze who understood she needed some private time. 

"GUYS!", Raquel heard Hazel excitedly scream from one of the rooms. "Guess What! Raquel is making us Spanish food!". 

Meanwhile, Raquel picked her origami for the day which looked like a cute dog. First, I was a cat, not a dog, she laughed and opened it carefully. 

  
_"Tanuki - Racoon dog, which is said to be mischievous and jolly are the masters of disguise with traits that bring good fortune._

_You are probably teasing me for relating you to a cat and now a dog. These are really cute dogs, Raquel. Their eyes are as joyful like yours! Remember how you called me before our first date and perfectly shaped a funny conversation to check if I still remember the date ? That playful tone still makes my heart flutter. You are full of energy, Raquel and that has an impact on me too. I never thought I would actually be carefree, but I have become one. I love it when we accidentally breaks plates at home or make other mistakes that we don't take seriously anymore. Previously, I would have, but, I don't anymore. Thanks to you, I have become my own cheerleader and pardon my imperfections. I feel less burdened. I hope you continue to remain the same, bring joy and create fun memories with all of us around you. I cherish you. I feel blessed that you chose to be with me! Loads of love to you, My love._

Raquel couldn't help but notice how the origamis coincide with the day she was having. She smiled at the note, chuckled calmly remembering the love of her life, his warm eyes, thoughtful words and endless love. With a warm heart, she walked to the kitchen to find her friends waiting for her. They watched and helped Raquel as she made a big chicken Paella. Once the food was ready, they carried it back to Haze's room as they planned to eat whilst they drank.

"Would you all be spending the night together ?", a new floor nurse questioned the women.

"Yes, we could be. Is there a problem ?", Lucia asked annoyed by her tone. 

  
"Which one of you gets nightmares ?", the nurse asked pouting and tracing her finger in front of the four women. Raquel hesitantly stepped forward and admitted, "That would be me."

"Great. You will sleep in your room. I have been asked to monitor you. ", the nurse ordered making the women very angry. 

"That won't be necessary. Umm. I think I will be fine.", Raquel explained politely. 

"You and I can't make that decision. Dr Lim asked me to watch you sleep.. you know.. when you kick and scream.."

Before Raquel could say anything further, "We are perfectly capable of taking care of that. She will sleep in my room.", Haze stared at the nurse. 

"Yes, I would prefer having them around, if in case.. it.. happens.", Raquel nodded along. 

"Who wants to see a nightmare after having a nightmare!", Clara snapped at the nurse annoyed by her lack of compassion. 

"I am reporting it to Dr Lim in the morning.", the nurse informed and left the women. They ignored the old nurse and proceeded with their evening. Lucia and Clara has decorated Haze's room with some pictures of her and some party lights. Raquel opened the bottles of liquor, "Haze, tonight is the night you soak your liver in this toxic magic!"

"Actually..alcohol isn't toxic naturally. It is acidic, but only becomes toxic when it mixes with our blood stream. So, it is our blood stream that decides the toxicity. Which is why differently people react differently to it..", Haze offered a chemistry lecture and Raquel smiled warmly as she reminded her a lot of someone she fondly knew. 

"Listen, Madam Chemistry Curie. Enough with the lecture. Let's see how this reacts inside you.", Clara mocked earning a furrow from the geeky girl. They sat around the food and drinks and Raquel poured their first Tequila shot and mixed with fruit juice for Haze. "There you go girls!"

"To friends who are family!", Clara raised her glass followed by Raquel and Lucia, while Hazel confusedly copied the action. "Girls, I just want to say, this would not have been easy without you all! So, Thank you!", Raquel smiled and the girls kissed her cheeks. 

"To trauma that brought us together!", Lucia cheered and they let their first drink down their throat. 

"Oh! Oh! Oh!. I have a date .. with Armand.!", Hazel announced causing Clara to choke on her drink. "Tomorrow.", she added and Clara violently coughed. 

"Idiot!. I have alcohol leaking down my nose!", Clara complained earning a laugh from the other women. 

"But, Haze. Good for you!", Lucia smiled at Haze's self-doubted face. 

"Yea! _*cough*_ Haze, really! _*cough-cough*_ I - am- _*cough*_ proud", Clara said in between coughs.

"Raquel pushed me!", Haze said throwing her arms around her friend. 

"Well, we knew this Spanish lady would be of some good!", Lucia commented and received a slap from Raquel. The girls continued to tease Haze about her new date while they ate and drank more. 

  
"Oh Fuck! This is good.", Lucia spoke between morsels of her Paella. "What is it ?"

"Paella", Clara answered but pronouncing the 'll' in the word, which sounds different in Spanish.

"It's pah-EH-yah not pah-EHL-lah", Raquel corrected them.

"Why don't they spell it Paeya then ?", Clara shrugged but continued to eat.

"Actually...", Hazel began another factual lecture. 

"Haze, I promise to pronounce it right with no complains, if you stop the lecture!", Clara proposed a deal. Haze frowned and got back to her bowl with sparkly eyes. Throughout the rest of the meal, they laughed, joked and thanked Raquel for the making them something European! It suddenly felt like they were in a college dormitory with absolutely no worries in life. Raquel wondered if it was the alcohol or the company! It definitely was a company she concluded as she read the faces of her friends. One of them stood up to explore Haze's wardrobe to find a nice dress for her date. They, together, displayed dramatic shock when they noticed that all her clothes were boy T-shirts and shorts, so Lucia dragged herself to bring some date-worthy dresses she could borrow. When they finally agreed on a dress, it was make-up time. Thanks to Sergio, Raquel had all the make-up they needed.

"Wait, you partner packed make-up ?", Clara howled in surprise. Raquel nodded equally in disbelief. 

"What did he think you would be doing here ? Make out with Dr Lim ?", Lucia mocked. 

"He said I might need it, if I find friends."

"And, he is right.", Hazel agreed. "And, it is good to plan and be prepared!"

"Of course it is. Geek!", Lucia joked making the girl roll her eyes. Fortunately, all of Raquel's make-up would suit Haze's skin tone as well. So, they were sorted for tomorrow. They began to dance, sing along and twerk to "When I met you in the summer", "Girls just wanna have fun", "Party in the USA" and many more as the drinks entered their system one after the other. 

"I don't want to smoke!", Haze rejected her drag politely.

"Why not!", Clara, clearly drunk, asked angrily. 

"We won't force you, Haze, It is your choice!", Raquel respected her choice.

"But , Why not!", Clara probed. 

  
"Well, lungs are more important than your liver!", Haze answered and everyone furrowed at her. Surely, there must be a scientific explanation, if Haze was claiming so. "Your family can give you some parts of their liver and you will survive, but lungs don't work that way", she explained to the illiterate women. 

"Haze, love. I will give you my lung. I promise!", Lucia kissed the girl's worried cheeks. 

"Oh! Would you ?", she asked innocently. Lucia nodded. "You are the best!", she kissed back.

"You know what!", Clara caught everyone's attention with her excited squeal. "We should all become a group of organ suppliers.. for each other!"

"Absolutely", they all agreed absurdly. 

"Speaking of organs, Raquel if you die before me, Can I ask for your ass ?", Lucia asked. 

Raquel nodded, "Of course. Take them, babe.". "And, how are your breast still standing up against gravity ?", Raquel asked offended by her perfect figure.

"I have no idea! Yoga helps!", Lucia answered proudly showing off. 

"You know what we need!", Clara hushed and the girls huddled looking serious as if they were discussing high-profile secrets. "Haze's brain!"

"Yeah. She is like a human Encyclopedia!", Lucia complained sounding jealous. 

"Haz-lopedia!", Clara corrected her and the girls laughed foolishly. None of them remembered why they had this conversation in the first place, and forgot about the smokes even! They gulped the Tequila until 2A.M gossiping, making stupid pacts and acting like teenagers.

  
"Haze don't leave us!", Raquel pouted sadly. 

"Yea, Haze!", Clara and Lucia said together agreeing with Raquel.

"Ladies, I am more keen on bringing the rest of you out with me. We can't be stuck here with Dr Lim.", Haze consoled the sad teary-eyes women. 

"I will miss you, Haze.", Raquel cried on her shoulders and rest joined her. They cried for a while, until they forgot why they were crying. 

"You know what guys!. We should continue to stay friends after we leave this place.", Clara cleared her throat and suggested. 

"Of course!", they all said together wondering why they wouldn't be. 

"And.. And.. we should take trips together !", Clara added. 

"Definitely!", they all agreed again.

"Raqu-- Raquel. Would you come with us ? Leaving your family ?", Clara asked worriedly. 

"Yes, I will!", Raquel slurred promise and the woman smiled happily pressing a kiss in the air. 

"I hate that bitch!", Lucia said out of the blue. 

"Who ?", Haze asked. 

"The nurse bitch who was dis-res-pect-foool to Raquel.", Lucia answered gazing at the door. 

"Rude bitch!", Raquel agreed.

"YOU ARE TOO NICE!", Clara accused her loudly. "This ends now!"

"What can I do ?", Raquel asked helplessly. 

"YOU HAVE TO STOP BEING NICE!", Clara ordered.

"OKAY! THIS ENDS NOW! NICE RAQUEL IS DEAD!", Raquel hi-fi'ed, but soon furrowed, "What should I do though ?"

"YOU SHOULD ASK HER TO FUCK OFF!", Clara proposed wildly. 

"I COULD DO THAT", Raquel agreed loudly

Haze got up on her feet and stumbled to the door to check if the nurse was in the reception. "We can't do anything. She is asleep.". She put her head back into the room, "Shh.. Nurse bitch is asleep! We can't wake her to just say 'Fuck off'". "No ?" she asked uncertainly. 

  
"Umm. I have another idea!", Lucia pitched in. "We could get rid of the cameras, so she would have nothing to monitor."

"OH yes! Then she will be fired, because she would have nothing to do!", Haze spontaneously agreed. "Raquel, where are you going ?", she asked as she saw Raquel get up.

"Breaking the cameras!", Raquel raised her eyebrows devilishly and the women cheered and followed her. 

"We can't go together, she will wake up!", Haze pointed out. 

"Okay, I will go with Raquel.", Lucia followed her. Clara followed them. 

"Don't leave me alone", Haze said and soon all four of them were in Raquel's room. 

"Disconnect the microphone, first.", Lucia mouthed and one of them cut the microphone cable. 

"I can't reach it!", Raquel complained waving her hand and jumping to reach the camera. 

"Here climb on this.!", Clara offered her a chair. Raquel stood on the chair facing the camera, pointed her middle fingers, mouthed a 'Fuck you' and jabbed her dinner bowl on it causing the lens to shatter. The girls who were observing this jumped in joy and managed to shake chair making Raquel lose her balance and fall. And, that's how the chair broke and one of them broken edge cut Raquel's palm. 

"Oops!, I think this will hurt tomorrow.", Raquel laughed inarticulately at her wound. The girls laughed along.

"Don't worry, Raquel. I am the queen of cuts. I will wrap your hand.!", Hazed tied a T-shirt around her palm to stop the bleeding. "Where are you girls going ?", Haze asked as Lucia and Clara opened the door. 

"Doing the same in our rooms." Soon, the women broke the cameras and microphones in the other rooms. 

"This is not fair!", Raquel frowned gaining everyone's looks. "I don't have a chair and you all do!"

"We should be equal!", Lucia agreed. "Raquel, how.. how... how.. did you bw-reak your chairrrrrrrrr ?", she mumbled.

"I don't remember."

"I think ... I think she threw it off her balcony!", Clara slurred, but none of them remembered that Raquel's room does not have a balcony. Soon the girls carried their chairs to Hazel's room and dropped it from the balcony. It caused noises, but none of the staffs responded to it. They all clapped silently in joy and danced until their feet gave up. When they ran out of beers, they fell asleep on the floor. 

****

  
_**Next Morning,** _

  
"The husband is useless. He doesn't seem to care about his wife's conduct!", the floor nurse gossiped to another nurse, Tina. 

"Did you speak to him ?", Tina asked.

"Yes, Yes. He arrogantly said he will speak to Dr Lim."

"I am not cleaning that mess, until Dr Lim sees it!", Tina shook her hands disgustingly. "They are here because they have gone mental! And, they are not normal like us. But, still continue to ruin their lives more!"

"This Lucia and Clara are here almost permanently! They have been here for more than a year. And, have no intentions of leaving!"

"One of them cannot take a shower with out a panic attack, no ?"

"Yes, Yes. Welda helps her. Hazel cannot be trusted with a knife, I don't know how she is allowed to get out of here. I bet she would come back with another cut!", the floor nursed scoffed judgmentally. 

"And, that European woman has a daughter ?", Tina husked. 

"Yes Yes. That's what I heard. Apparently, the husband is not the father.! I think the child belongs to the supposed rapist!"

"And she carried the child ?", Tina asked with her palm over her mouth

"Maybe she was too drunk to realise she was pregnant, until it was too late! God knows!", the floor nurse answered presumably.

  
"I wonder what kind of a child she is raising ? What kind of example would she be setting at home ?"

"I have idea! Maybe she pours some beer for her child too. Who knows what these mad women are capable of!"

"I cannot imagine being such an irresponsible mother. I wonder if her child would end up on the streets along with those drug addicted teenagers!

"With such a mother, I am sure. And, despite their attention-grabbing behaviours, they still accuse those poor men.", the floor nurse continued accused the women. 

"I know! These women are practically asking to get raped. And, they complain about it later on!", Tina whispered rolling her eyes. 

  
" _One. more. word. from your filthy mouths, I swear to god..!_ ", a deep voice said hoarsely causing the nurses to shudder.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hola guys!! That is the end of this one! I think it is longer than my usual chapters... What do you think about it ? I strongly want to write off women who blame other women for such incidents! A women drinking or her clothes gives no man the liberty to take advantage of her! They definitely did not ask for it!
> 
> Us women got to support each other! We can't blame the victim for her trauma, no ? But, sadly we live in the world where people like those nurses exist - Passing comments and judgments without any compassion, respect or regards. 
> 
> I really hope you liked it. Please leave a kudos or a comment. It would mean so much to me!! :D Take care and Loads of love to you all! 💕 ❤️ 💝


	11. Sakana

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Raquel has a breakdown that completely exhausts her until she falls unconscious on the floor. Sergio panics listening to her intense breakdown. But, mentally she seems to open up more than before, which makes Dr Lim very happy. Hazel leaves the hospital and the teary eyed women sob the absence of their friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi there!!
> 
> Thank you all for coming with me so far :) I really enjoy writing this story and your comments keep me going. Thank you so so much, words fail me as I try to express how much I appreciate all your kindest support! Thank you so so so much from the bottom of my heart!

_“One. more. word. from your filthy mouths, I swear to god..!”_

The startled nurses exchanged wide-eyed looks, swallowed their panic but wasn't ready to surrender to the angry voice. "What are you going to do ?!", the floor nurse stepped forward and Tina backed her up. 

_"Oh! you don't want to know that! Trust me!"_

"Oh! really ?! show me ! We have to clean the mess you created. So, don't use that tone with us.", Tina threatened. 

_"Or what?!"_

"You will have to deal with Dr Lim. And, the next time you are back on the streets, no-one would pick you up..", the floor nurse gritted in disgust.

  
"HAZEL!", Raquel screamed to stop the short, dark-haired woman from launching herself on the nurses. Hazel, who had woken up early, went to the kitchen to get some coffee for all of them, when she heard the nurse speak condescendingly about them, especially Raquel. "Hazel, what are you doing ? Please stop!", Raquel pleaded under her breathe trying to avoid more trouble than what they have already created. 

"STAY AWAY FROM THIS, RAQUEL!", Hazel yelled shaking in anger. "CLARA!!! LUCIA!!", she bellowed the other women to join her. 

"Clara is puking, Lucia is helping her", Raquel explained still whispering into Hazel's ear. Hazel shot her an angry yet defeated look, partly upset that Raquel would never pick a fight with someone. She was a peacemaker, but Hazel was not ready to wave a white flag at this situation. 

"Oh god!", the floor nurse scoffed when she heard Raquel talk about their hangovers. 

"Excuse me ?!", Raquel frowned respectfully. 

"Raquel, these women have been judging and gossiping about us... about... our situation.", Hazel pointed at the nurses biting her teeth to not yell anymore. Their heads were banging from the wild party last night and their own screams hurt them. 

"What ?", Raquel shot a look of disbelief. Hazel nodded in wrath. 

"Look, you women create a mess in the room, damage hospital property, of course we are pissed!", Tina accused them. 

" _We_ will pay for the damage _we_ caused! And, _we_ are capable of cleaning _our_ own mess!", Raquel answered defensively. The floor nurse scoffed mockingly making Raquel angry. "What ?!"

"Nothing", she smirked. 

"No! Tell me ? I dare you!", Raquel challenged the floor nurse sensing the judgment on her face. 

"If you were capable of cleaning your own mess, you wouldn't be here! You and your friends, in a psychiatric ward, needing Dr Lim to fix your heads and nursing assistants to you calm you down when you kick and scream in your sleep!", the floor nurse daringly responded with absolutely hatred on her face. 

***

_Meanwhile, Dr Lim's office._

"Just the man I wanted to see!", Dr Lim greeted a very upset Sergio. 

"Dr Lim. I am here because I got a call from a very insensitive nurse, this morning, speaking ill of Raquel and her friends.", Sergio began to complain patiently. 

"They have a reason, don't you think!", Dr Lim smiled and showed him a CCTV footage. Sergio swallowed a smile when he saw an adorable and drunk Raquel attempting to climb on a chair to break the lens. He was far from angry at her actions. In fact, he wondered what triggered her to be upset with the CCTV in her room, but he, also, was certain that it must be the nurses who set her off. The next footage, had the other women break the CCTV cameras in their rooms to which he finally laughed. To his surprise, Dr Lim laughed too. "This is crazy. I am happy that they had fun. They bond very well, which is healthy. But, I wonder why the CCTV upset them, so much."

"I think the nurses might have done, something!", Sergio accused and yet disguised the confidence in his words.

"I think so, too. Also, there has been a mixup, those nurses weren't supposed to be there.", she thought out loud. "So, were the liquors!", she eyed at him sternly.   
Sergio swallowed, ignored her and corrected her adjusting his glasses nervously, "I don't think the nurses should be in this hospital at all!". Dr Lim agreed and promised to take care of it. Meanwhile, Sergio promised, "I will fix the damages."

"You do that. I will go help the women with their hangovers and chat to them about last night. They must be very pissed, too.", Dr Lim responded, but soon frowned and straightened her posture when her eyes landed on the CCTV camera recordings on the floor. Sergio, who shifted anxiously when he read Dr Lim's shocked face, peeped into the monitor to see Raquel and Hazel pick a fight with the nurse. "Oh, god!. Let's go!", Dr Lim rushed and Sergio followed. 

*** 

  
"What the hell ?", Raquel approached closer to the nurse, her eyes visibly shocked, hurt and angry. Suddenly it was Hazel who stopped her from going any further close to the nurses. 

"Calm down, Raquel. I will take care of them.", Hazel murmured worrying about Raquel's mental wellness. 

"No. No. Tell me.", Raquel launched further. "TELL ME!"

"I am just saying, if you had been careful and responsible, you wouldn't have ended up here.", the floor nurse explained calmly making Raquel look like the hysterical one. 

Raquel, who was now shaking and tearing up in anger. "Is that so ?", she said and took deep breathes, "Do you know why I am here..?".

The nurse rolled her eyes unwilling to listen to her justification. Dr Lim and Sergio who had reached the floor stood outside to witness the situation. "Aren't you going to stop it ?", Sergio muttered in her ears. 

"No! this is good for Raquel.", Dr Lim shushed him.

"She looks upset. How is that good ?", Sergio frowned. 

"Raquel is about to have a breakdown. It is good for her to vent out. ", Dr Lim explained. "Go sit in the waiting room. This could get difficult. I will call you when everything is settled.", Dr Lim waved at him to leave. "Go!". Sergio, who wanted to stay back for Raquel, hold her when she felt weakened, left Dr Lim, but hid behind another wall preparing himself to support the love of his life. 

Raquel continued with tears flowing down her face, "I am not here because I was drunk or partied in the middle of the night in some club, or dressed in revealing clothes! I am here because, the man who swore to love me, protect me changed his mind somewhere in the middle of our marriage. So, he, instead, chose to beat me....rape me.."

  
"Raquel, please..", Hazel begged as her eyes flooded too. 

"I am here because some men don't understand the word ' _No_ '. Even if we yell, fight, plead, cry or beg it, they choose to ignore that word.", Raquel gritted, her face fully red with anger and her body trembling. "And, that's what unites me with my friends here. ", she sighed wiping her face. Sergio, who listened to this, imagining Raquel in such a horrendous situation, was already on his knees allowing his tears to flow down. 

"And, even if I walk on the road in the middle of the night, even if I drink, party or even if I am naked.. that does not mean, I invite a man to take advantage of me or my vulnerability.", Raquel started to raise her voice with wide bloodshot eyes. "When I do not give consent.. when I say NO, I MEAN NO! A BIG FAT SOLID NO! A NO! DO YOU FUCKING HEAR ME ? NO!! NOOOO!! NOOOOO!!", she yelled out loud, frantically, causing Hazel to shudder, gasp and cry shakily. Soon, Lucia and Clara joined the Hazel on the floor, respecting Raquel's voice by not trying to stop her. After Hazel managed to give a summary of what happened, Lucia and Clara were on their feet backing Raquel in the fight. 

The floor nurse remained silent, while Tine hurried to make a call. "Who are you calling ?", Lucia asked threateningly. 

"Dr Lim, of course.", Raquel answered on her behalf. "She wants Dr Lim to numb the crazy woman, because what do we do when a victim fights back ? WE SHUT THEM DOWN", she screamed and clapped her hands sarcastically. "Go On! Call her. Ask her to come sedate me. FUCKING SEDATE ME GOD DAMMIT!! SEDATE ME! SEDATE ME! SEDATE ME!", Raquel started to slap her own face leaving her own fingerprints on her burning cheeks. Sergio dragged himself to Dr Lim convulsed by Raquel's attempt to hurt herself. 

"Dr Lim, please!", Sergio begged her to do something, but she was pissed at him for not leaving sooner. "I can't watch this.", Sergio cried in his palms.

"This is why I asked you to leave!", Dr Lim scolded him. 

"Raquel, please, my love. I am right here.", he whispered to himself.

  
Raquel, whose hands were already hurt from last night, started to bleed after the violent hand gestures ripped her bandaid off. "But, above all of that, I AM HERE BECAUSE OF YOU", she accused the nurses. "I am here, because OF WOMEN LIKE YOU WHO RAISE MEN LIKE THEM, BLINDLY TAKING THEIR SIDE, FOLLOWING THEIR ORDERS WITH ABSOLUTELY NO SELF-RESPECT OR SELF-VALUE.", she spat on their faces and continued in a quivering weak, but disgusted voice, "Because women like you do not teach your sons to accept 'No' for an answer, which makes it easy for them to pin another women down and exert all their physical strength. They are proud of themselves when they ignore all our pleading 'NO' as we continue to fight under them! And, it actually makes them feel victorious, when we give up and surrender.", Raquel slurred as she fell on the ground losing consciousness. "I am here because of you", she continued to mutter followed by other words which noone could comprehend. Clara and Lucia hurried to catch her from falling too hard, while Hazel cried by her side trying to stop the bleeding from her hand. 

"RAQUEL!", Sergio ran to her and carried her from the ground. Her head hung against his arms in exhaustion, her hands bled on the floor, her face still red and her forehead vein pulsated in rage even when she was unconscious. She began to calm down upon Sergio's touch but continued to moan incomprehensible words between her pressed lips. "Mi Amor, I am here. Please calm down. I will take care of those women.", he promised staring at the nurses like a cold blooded murderer. Dr Lim asked Sergio to carry her to her room, while she setup a heart monitor and an IV line to hydrate her. But, not before, she ordered, "You both are fired, effective immediately!", to the nurses. She proceeded to stop the bleeding from Raquel's hand, stitched the cut and dressed the wound. "Sergio, look at me..", she held Sergio's hands, whose endless tears dripped on Raquel's motionless face. "She is fine. She had a breakdown and is exhausted. The saline will help her regain some energy. Let her sleep for a while, Okay ?".

  
"I am not leaving her side.", he muttered firmly staring at her.   


"Of course, not. Stay by her side. I saw how her face relaxed when you touched her! So, you should stay!", Dr Lim smiled warmly at Sergio. She, then, asked the Hazel, Clara and Lucia to follow her to one of their rooms and explain the actual events. The women explained what caused their violent behaviour, the nurses judgemental gossip and how it affected them, especially Raquel and Hazel. It was almost noon and Raquel was still asleep. She, who never liked sleeping on her back, complaining that it caused her an ache, slept on her back with no energy to turn around. Sergio tried shifting her on her side, but she groaned weakly, so he let her be. He, then, exited the room for a short while to make arrangements for Paula and Marivi in his absence.

"Still asleep ?", he heard a soft voice, Dr Lim, while he admired his sleeping beauty selfishly. He hummed in response. "She must be very tired.", Dr Lim whispered and took a seat next to him. At around 3P.M, the other women joined Dr Lim and Sergio in Raquel's room worried why she wasn't waking up. Their worried faces continued to stare at her, sitting around her bed. Her tiny figure slowly squirmed under the blanket causing Sergio to anxiously jump on his feet. "Raquel, Mi Amor...", he called lovingly. She moaned painfully. "Shh.. you are safe. You are with me..", he caressed her cheek as she tried to open her eyes. 

"Sergio.", she lifted her free hand to his beard, to which he bent down to meet her. She shut her eyes enjoying his warmth and opened it to look at him again. "Sergio.."

"Mi Amor. How are you ?", he cried and stammered. 

She hummed and yawned, "I a-m fine.. very tired...". He chuckled adoring her cute groggy face. 

"Okay, Lovebirds. Step aside, Sergio.", Dr Lim interjected breaking their romantic reunion. "Raquel, do you know where you are ?"

"In a nuthouse!", she joked and heard her friends laugh. 

"We do not call it that!", Dr Lim warned against her insensitivity. "Okay, do you remember what happened ?"

"I gave some hell to those bitches!", she answered and heard more laughs and 'Woooo' from across the room. Dr Lim stared at the other women asking them to keep quiet while she spoke to Raquel. 

"Do you know what happened, after ?!"

"They died ?!", Raquel asked sarcastically, but hoped they were fired the very least. The women laughed and cheered loudly this time. 

"Out!", Dr Lim asked the women to leave.

"No! Wait!", Raquel coughed stopping them. "Haze, did you do it ?", Raquel asked referring to Haze's lunch date with Armand, a question all the women understood. 

"Did what ?!", Dr Lim frowned.

"Nothing!", they said together as though they were caught by their parents. Sergio confusedly looked around to room, but gave up knowing Raquel would tell him later. 

"I did!", Haze shyly smiled. 

"I am proud, love!", Raquel weakly winked at her and noticed that she was still in her date clothes. 

"Okay, whatever it is, that is going on, should I expect more damaged properties ? Did you people set explosives somewhere ?", Dr Lim questioned the women.

"Please Dr Lim. Not everything we do is destructive!", Clara answered. 

"Setting explosives on the nurses heads doesn't sound too bad ?", Lucia said devilishly making Raquel laugh. "What say Madam chemistry ?", She winked at Haze who shrugged. 

"I will set explosives in your brain!", Dr Lim reprimanded jokingly. With that, the women kissed Raquel and left her alone with Dr Lim and Sergio. "So, Raquel, answer me sincerely. Do you remember what happened ?", Dr Lim repeated her question.

Raquel nodded and sighed. "I fainted I think. The last thing I remember was Lucia's face."

"Good. Do you feel any dizziness ?".

Raquel shook her head. "No, But I am hungry.", she pouted making Sergio chuckle. 

"How are you feeling, mentally ?"

"Very angry! Honestly, I want to yell at them more! Wish, I hadn't fainted so soon.", Raquel admitted. 

"They have been fired, sweetheart.", Sergio informed her massaging her head.

"But, I don't regret what I said, everything I said was true.", Raquel began staring at the floor. 

"I know. It's the sad reality of the world.", Dr Lim agreed in a soothing voice. 

"Women like them, blaming women like me.. us.. for being the victims of something we didn't ask for...", Raquel teared up and felt a tender squeeze from Sergio. "Supporting men who .. who...", she lost words.

Dr Lim hummed, while Sergio caressed her hand. "Sergio, mi amor, I never told you this.... but..one day.. when Alberto and I were in his parent's house.. I don't remember exactly... but..", Raquel tried to recollect a memory. "I think it was about some family event.. something like that... and I proposed something countering his suggestion..he.. he.. stared me down.. and I kept quiet...to avoid getting beaten up..", Raquel swallowed and continued with dark lost eyes. "You should have seen the look on his mother's face... so proud of her son.. of the control he had on me.. it was disgusting to be there in the same room as that woman.."

  
"It's basically women like that, making it tough for all of us.. ", Dr Lim nodded sadly. "But, You know what ?", she smiled widely. "You are doing much better. Few days ago, you wouldn't have opened up about this incident"

  
"Maybe, not!" Raquel smiled back gently warming up in Sergio's embrace. 

"Rest, today, Okay ? Your therapy for the day is done. Bid goodbyes to Haze and spend time with your friends. You man here was worried to death as well!",

"Thank you, Dr Lim!", Raquel said faintly.

"Thank you! For once, you were angry at someone else, not me! Phew!!", Dr Lim laughed and Raquel joined her. 

"Dr Lim ?", Raquel called. "I don't want a nurse to take care of my nightmares. I don't want to be someone's burden. Moreover, the therapy is for my PTSD.."

  
"Hmm.. I am afraid, that won't be possible, Raquel. I don't to hurt yourself."

"Mi Amor, you are not a burden to anyone.", Sergio interrupted. 

"Not everyone feels that way, Sergio. You take care of me, because.. well.. because you love me.. A random nurse needn't feel that way."

"What if Nurse Welda took care of you all nights until you left ?", Dr Lim proposed and Raquel seemed to relax instantly. Nurse Welda, who was the night nurse for the first three days, spoke to her calmly after all her nightmares, stayed by her side without any complains. In fact, she remained very warm and positive through all of Raquel's nightmares. 

"Do you think it would be possible ?", Raquel asked with big puppy eyes. Not just Sergio, even Dr Lim seemed to have a weak spot for her. 

"I will make it happen.", Dr Lim nodded. "Now , don't make her drink too ! You are terrible influence.", Sergio strongly agreed knowing Raquel's persuasive attitude and laughed along. Dr Lim left the two alone after she disconnected the IV lines. 

"Mi Amor, lie down next to me ?", Raquel invited him and moved making space for him. He gladly joined taking her in his arms and planted kisses on her face. She yearningly stared at his lips to join her and he obliged by entering her with his tongue. She enclosed his lips with hers and exchanged words of love through every movement until their breathing demanded their attention. She looked into his warm, nurturing eyes and hid her face in the crook of her neck. 

"I am glad you settled with Nurse Welda, my love. I am not comfortable to leave you alone during those horrible nightmares.!"

"Then, Stay with me! Don't leave!", Raquel complained like a child. 

Sergio chuckled and pressed more kissed on her pouted lips, "You know I would, if I could. But, the rest of Murillo clan would mock me to hell!", he joked, but was serious about the amount of bullying imposed on him at home.

"Not everyone loves to take care of me like you do. You must have heard the nurse complain about it, Sergio. It really hurt my self-esteem", she whispered sadly.

"I know, mi amor. I can't begin to imagine how hurt you must have felt.", Sergio added caressing her back and drawing random patterns with his fingers. "But, I saw how you broke the CCTV. That was adorable!", he laughed earning a smack from her. 

"Is it too expensive to fix all of it ?", Raquel asked curiously.

"Not really. If I run out of money, there are other banks in Asia I could steal from!", Sergio suggested, expecting another smack but earned a kiss from her.

"Sergio...", she looked up at him. "Please don't be scared of me after the .. breakdown.."

"Not at all. I was hurt. Not as hurt as you were, but I was hurt. You fight against the world never scares me, Raquel. I only get inspired by your courage and strength", he assured her with more kisses while he caressed her hair. They remained in each other's embrace for a long time until Sergio realised his domestic duties, "Mi amor, I am sorry to say this, I would love to stay longer, but Paula will be home... ". He felt Raquel come more closer to him and hold him tightly unwilling to let him go leaving her alone. 

"hmmm..", she uttered sadly against his chest. "Does Paula remember me?"

"Raquel, Mi amor, are you worried that your child will forget you after five days ?", Sergio lifted her face and read her eyes. He saw a loving mother missing her child beyond her abilities that it began to impair her logical thinking. He patiently answered, "No, she, of course, remembers you. Talks about you very very very often, every day!. She misses her mother too, my love.". He wanted to tell her about the surprise welcome Paula has planned, but he didn't dare to. 

"My Mom ?", she, then, enquired. 

"She had one lucid day, since you left. She sounded very pissed at Alberto. I have never seen her like that. She wanted to talk to you, but I told her it wasn't possible."

"What about you ? Do you still love me ? Do you still miss me ? Or Did you find another local inspector in Palawan ?", she stacked exposing her insecurity to him. 

"Me ? Hmm.. Let's see. There was this particular woman who wanted a charger..", he tried to joke, but she was too sad to laugh. Reading her serious and worried face, "Mi Amor, I love you till my last breath. I miss you so much. Your little smile, soft lips, wavy hair, nose piercing, your smell, the occasional salty burnt food and many other things!"

"OOh, what else do you miss, Professor ?", she asked seductively, but her stomach growled breaking the mood. _Fuck_ , she cursed her appetite. 

He laughed, "I miss that too. Let me get some food, mi amor.". He ran to the kitchen to get some egg rice and curry for them. He watched gobble the food, admiringly. She let out a small burp after she finished, which made his heart melt in love. She is a piece of art, everything about her was adorable making him fall in love over and over again. One more week, he told himself as he continued to stare at her lick her spoon. "Mi amor, do you want more ?", he asked. 

She shook her head and continued to lick her spoon just to catch his adoring eyes. Saying goodbye to each other was hard no matter how many times they have done it. Separation only got difficult. "I will come with you!", she tried to get up from her bed. 

"No, Raquel. Please rest here. I don't want you to strain yourself. You have had a tiring day.", Sergio gently pushed her back into the bed.

She frowned at first, but she did feel a head rush when she tried to get up, he was probably right, she needed to stay in bed. "Fine!", she pouted. "Kiss me, at least before you go!", she ordered and he took her lips for one deep passionate kiss. Their faces were moistened by tears that they did not whom it belonged to, but they wiped their tears off and held their faces in between their palms for a while as they recovered from the kiss.

"One more week", they sighed together and glared lovingly at each other at the coincidence. Greedily, he entered her lips yet again. They studied their bodies for one last time until the next time they met. She watched him leave with tearful eyes and turned to the other side to allow herself to sob. His eyes reflected her pain by shedding more tears on his way out. It has been a traumatic day for him too. His heart has still not recovered from witnessing her breakdown. He needed time to recover from that, so he planned to leverage the solitude awaiting at home. Meanwhile, her pillow drenched as she stared at the window missing him, cursing her fate for this separation and prayed she never had to be away from him ever.

"Missing him ?", Hazel asked and she hurried to wipe her face. Her friends noticed that Sergio had left and decided not to leave her alone.

"Tough day, huh!", Clara asked to which Raquel sniffed and nodded. 

"Our lady here is packed!", Lucia pointed at Haze. "to leave us!", she blamed. 

"She is already crying, let's not make it worse!", Haze muttered making Raquel chuckle. "Did Dr Lim lecture you ?", she diverted the topic. 

"Not really. It could have been worse!", Raquel shrugged. "How was your date ?", she asked and other women 'Woo'ed. Haze spoke about her date, but the women dug deeper revealing the juiciest details. Haze blushing was new to them, but adorable. One of them was leaving and took a progressive step in life; nothing screamed hope in their heads than that. They had one last together as the four of them and cried a lot in their embrace. Another person leaving her on the same day, broke Raquel's wounded heart. But, this is not forever, they promised to meet again. They made weekly dinner plans, short trips and dreamt about their time together. The women helped Haze drag her bags out to the exit and cried until her taxi came. 

"Stay in touch ?!", Clara nodded and hugged tightly. 

"Of course. We will soon have a WhatsApp group once you all come out too!", Haze assured. 

"Who is going to teach us chemistry, nerdo!", Lucia pressed kissed on Haze's wet face. 

"Miss you so so much already, Haze!", Raquel squeezed Haze in her arms, choking her with love. "And, let us know when you and Armand make love!", she added suddenly sounding like her mother. Haze blushed making the other women laugh. Her taxi honked impatiently as they took their own sweet time.

"I should go. Stay well, okay ?", Haze ate the sight of her friends in front of her one last time and boarded her car. 

  
There were no dry pair of eyes as they watched their little friend leave the campus. "Let's go!", Clara took Raquel and Lucia in her arms as they walked inside the facility. 

"Next is you, Raquel.", Lucia sighed. 

"Then you!", Clara sighed at Lucia. "Finally me!"

"Bro, you are literally getting discharged two days after me!", Lucia smirked. 

"Guys, if I did not have a dependent family and a child, I would happily stay with you all ..", Raquel proposed a possibility.

"You mean, you would volunteer to stay with Dr Lim longer for us ? How touched am I now!", Lucia cried sarcastically making them chuckle. 

"But, seriously Raquel, Paula must be waiting for you. You should leave sooner than planned.", Clara answered. 

"I can't believe she stayed without me for five long days. I really miss her too!", she complained.

"Sergio must be doing a good job, then!", Lucia said. 

They continued to chat until Lucia yawned continuously. They kissed goodnight and went to their rooms. However, Raquel's day does not end without reading her beloved's origamis, 

  
_"Sakana"_

_Many of us associate fish with a symbol of happiness. But, I think it's a derived interpretation. The happiness factor in a fish comes due to their freedom - liberty to choose their own path in an ocean and roam as they please. There is another legendary belief about a carp, do you what it is that ??_

  
She softly sighed and muttered , "No, Sergio. I don't know. Tell me.."

  
_"They believe that a carp swam up a huge, powerful waterfall and into the sky to become a dragon. Because of this, fish have come to represent the strength, perseverance, and determination it takes to swim against the current. You are the only person I know, who is capable of, not only fighting a consuming Tsunami, but also, emerge out of the sea as a ferocious dragon ready to take the world in your hands. I don't know how you do it, but it makes me breathless. There are many times, during our little 'project', the Professor was intimidated by the powerful Inspector. Beyond her intelligence, it is her perseverance to not succumb to a battle; to continue fighting until the last drop of her blood vacates her body. It kept the Professor on his feet. Your strength makes me, Sergio, stronger and also intimidates me, the Professor, in a positive way. My beloved fighter, I hope you consider your battles as opportunities that make you stronger. Because, I know they certainly have that effect on you._

  
_I love you, Mi amor! I has been 120 hours without you, and I really miss you."_

  
Raquel teared up at his note. Sometimes, his confidence on her, kept her going even when there are days she wanted to surrender. The Professor kept her on her feet, too. They were two strong characters unwilling to surrender in the battle, but surrendered to love instead. The moonlight kissed her face through her window. She remembered the story her mother told her as a child, when she missed her father, that the moon would deliver messages to her father, if she spoke to it.

"Sergio, I tried this as child, I do not know if it works. But, I hope this reaches you. I really love you. Finding you was more of a self-rescue mission; the only reward for all the fights I put up with in my life. You make all my struggles worth it.! You make life worth living and greedily beg for more. I hope I get eternity with you, in your arms! I love you so so so much, mi amor!"

She fell asleep instantly, but was disturbed often by nightmares, which she expected considering the day she had. Thankfully, Nurse Welda was around as she kicked and screamed in her sleep. She silently wished for Sergio's warmth, but was too tired to long for him.

***  
"Do you miss Mamma ?", a little voice asked the lonely man sitting on their porch. 

"I do. Do you ?", he asked. The little kid nodded sadly and buried herself in his arms. "Your Mamma must miss you too!"

" _Us_. She misses _us_!", Paula corrected him drawing a smile on his face. "You know what ? You can send a message through the moon. I did that when you were making dinner!", her face sparkled at her proposal. 

"What ?!", Sergio frowned. 

"Abuela told me.. the moon can deliver messages to your loved one. You need to speak your message to it.", she explained with bright eyes. "But, you need to be alone for that. I will go sleep now and you can speak then, Okay ?"

Sergio nodded enthusiastically and watched the kid kiss him goodnight and run to her room. 

'Dear moon, this message is for Raquel. Raquel Murillo. umm. Her address is ...is .. Dr Lim's retreat facility, U-DARRE unit, Palawan. Would you please deliver the following message, 

'Raquel, Mi Amor, I miss you soo so much! I burnt the food today and we had to eat Pizza. I am so sorry I am not capable of running a household. Please don't be mad at me, I will learn soon. Don't worry about me, I am doing well, except I miss you badly. I don't ever want to be separate from you. I want an eternity with you and more! I love you so so much. I can't wait to rest my head on your lap during my afternoon naps. I can't wait to hold you in my arms at nights, make love to you, kiss you and show you how much you mean to me. I promise to wake up everyday and look forward to prove my love to you. Thank you for making me see life the way you see. I would have missed so much, if it weren't for you. Thank you!. I love you , Raquel!'

That's the message, moon. Thank you for delivering it!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No cliffhangers there! :D :D. Thank you for reading this chapter, I hope you like it :) And I really hope I see you in the next one. Thanks a million for being so so so kind! Loads of love to you !! :D

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you guys like the beginning of this multi-chapter story. I will post 1-2 chapters each week..:D. Please leave your comments and kudos if you like it :D :D Happy Friday guys!


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